Assasin's Creed: Chaoic Dynasties
by Insertmanyfandomshere
Summary: Set in the Three Kingdoms era of Ancient China, a man tries to find his true purpose in life while getting caught in wars between the kingdoms Shu, Wu, and Wei. Basically, Assassin's Creed set in China.
1. Chapter 1

Here's some basic info to better picture the Assassin in this story.

Huang Shi Er (Gender: Male)

Face is young and clean shaven. 22 years old at the beginning of this story. Long black messy hair, tied on certain occasions. Wears white Assassin robes and wears typical Chinese armor over it. Carries a _jian_ and bow on his back. Hidden blades are hidden under his sleeves completely.

For the historical figures in this story, I will be using their appearance from this series called Dynasty Warriors. If you know this series already, I will make them age based on years that go by. You can go look what ever historical figure along with "Dynasty Warriors" and you will get that guy. Usually. Some won't have an appearance.

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><p><em><strong>The year is 208 A.D. Cao Cao sends his major naval force of 220,000 into the Yangtze. He had Northern China in his control and now is planning to take the southern part, but there was something in his way. The combined armies of Wu and Shu were ready to make sure his plan was not to succeed. Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, respectively, were the commanders for the Wu and Shu armies. Their plan was to use a fire attack on the large naval fleet. When it was carried out, Cao Cao's mighty army fell within minutes.<strong>_

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><p><span><strong>Yangtze River, 208 A.D.<strong>

**A hooded figure clad in white robes is standing on the mast of a ship and watches the Wei fleet get consumed by flame. **

**"This is got to be really embarrassing for the great Cao Cao." Soldiers see the figure and yell out.**

**"Hey! Who's that?"**

** "It might be a spy! Kill him!"**

**The hooded figure spreads his arms and falls down gracefully into the freezing water below. The soldiers pursue, but they saw nothing in the water. **

**The figure swims onto land and pants. He runs into a forest and gets to a cliff to see a small army scurrying into the forest. The figure looks at the army attentively.****The Assassin runs towards their direction, but an arrow zips past his face, almost striking him. **

**"Huh?" He turns to see another hooded figure in black robes holding a bow in front of him at the bottom of the cliff.**

**"What? We're on the same side!"**

**"This is my kill. Don't get in my way." ****That Assassin runs towards the forest, leaving the other to chase after him. **

**"It doesn't matter who kills him! We have to make sure Cao Cao doesn't make it!"**

**"Hmph. You just don't like that there are people outshining you."**

**"No! It's just too dangerous to rush in! Cao Cao has the best generals to protect him! I mean, even I am not stupid enough to charge into them."**

**"Then they die as well for supporting a Templar."**

**"They will not go down without a fight! They will put their lives at stake for Cao Cao! This makes them more dangerous!"**

**"I don't need to take this from you." The arrogant Assassin runs ahead and climbs onto trees to disappear into the foliage formed by the branches.**

**The white robed Assassin watches the small army move quickly towards an old gate. The army was positioned with the regular soldiers at the back and the major generals and Cao Cao at the front.**

**"This isn't possible... I can't get to him without Zhang Liao, Xu Chu, Xu Huang, or Zhang He capturing me... Not to mention all of those soldiers. It seems they're not stopping." He looks up to see the black robed Assassin sneak on top of the trees.**

**"No! You're going to-" The black Assassin jumps upwards with his hidden blade ready to make its way into Cao Cao's body, but an ax knocks him away. His hood was sliced off to reveal a bloodied face with one eye closed. The army disperses to form a circle around him. A towering man walks up to the Assassin with his giant ax. **

**"Xu Huang..."**

**"You know my name, yet you dare attack my lord in my sight? I admire your boldness, but this is where you shall end." Xu Huang raises his ax and brings it down. Nothing happens and Xu Huang's ax splits in half. A white streak dashes to pick up the black Assassin and a few soldiers get cut down in the process.**

**"Ah! It's him! The White Devil!" Cao Cao yells at his army,"He's just a mere urban legend! He is human, thus you can kill him! Xu Chu! Zhang Liao! Zhang He! Get this so-called demon and bring me his head!" A man carrying two halberds, a large man holding a club, and a tall man with claws go towards the dashing white streak and strike at it. With every strike, the white figure dodges fluidly and hits each general with a punch, stunning them for a second. When they recovered, the white Assassin was gone. **

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><p><strong>The white robed Assassin walks through a dark hallway with the black Assassin under his arm. That Assassin mutters,"You could have just taken Cao Cao there and just left me there."<strong>

**"Mentor would be furious if I let anyone die while under my eye."**

**"I don't have my left eye! A warrior is useless without his eyes!"**

**"Then adapt to your new lifestyle. Can I get some medical assistance for this man?" He pushes a large door open to walk into a large palace-like room with the Assassin's insignia at the very top of the ceiling. A few men go up to him and escorted the black Assassin away from the white one. An older man with a long beard walks up to him.**

**"I applaud you for risking your mission for that reckless fool. But Cao Cao has now escaped and is recovering. Huang Shi Er, this is your first failure in a long time ever since you were recruited here."**

**"Mentor Qin Song... Even if I did get to Cao Cao, his generals would've sent me to the ground before I can even unsheathe my blade."**

**"I suppose so... At least we hindered his grasp of the southern land."**

**"So me killing Guo Jia had no effect then?"**

**"Oh, it did. He was obviously important to Cao Cao, thus he had to die. But you forgot to take care of the traitor, Jia Xu."**

**"He wasn't there. What did he do, if I may ask?"**

**"Yes, you weren't here when he was with our order. He was one of us and he was assigned with killing Cao Cao as well. He had almost got him using his lord, Zhang Xiu's army to ambush him, but he was foiled because Cao Cao avoided all of his traps and his bodyguard, Dian Wei, took all the blows and let Cao Cao escape. His son and nephew died along with Dian Wei, and now Cao Cao's security is weakened. But, Cao Cao captured Jia Xu and he defected to his side. He is important to him now and has to killed."**

**"Is everyone in Wei a Templar like you said?"**

**"Almost. There are some our scouts and spies can't figure out on. But most of them are Templars and Cao Cao is the Grand Master. But... there is one thing..."**

**"What is it?"**

**"We have just gotten a report from one spy saying there could be two Templar Grand Masters."**

**"Two? How is that?"**

**"It's possible the power is shared between Cao Cao and another suspected party. Right now, we can't find anything."**

**"What do you want me to do now?"**

**"Visit one of the bureaus in the Wu kingdom. Wei is very inactive right now after Chibi, thus we can shift to any Templar activity in Wu or Shu. Here's a message for you to give to them."**

**"Yes." ****Huang Shi Er walks out the large doors and they shut with a loud clang.**

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><p><em><strong>My name is Huang Shi Er. I was an orphan raised by Assassins. Their mentor, Qin Song, became my adoptive father and he has raised and trained me into the man I am today. I am a Master Assassin and the one thing that people know about me is that I wear white for all of my missions despite the typical uniform is black, thus giving me the nickname by authorities, "White Devil". It's a bit tacky, if you ask me...<strong>_

_**My purpose? None. I drink and commit in many forms of debauchery with many of my female companions. Some of them being my comrades if you know what I mean. I don't care about honor or pride. I just want to earn my living and live to the fullest. I have yet to find my true calling.**_

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><p><span><strong>Jianye, Captial of Wu<strong>

**Huang Shi Er walks through the dark streets in simple robes. He walks up to a door of a simple aged building and knocks on the door.**** The door opens and Huang Shu Er walks in, but he has a blade to his throat.**

**"Who are you? State your business!"**

**"I'm one of you. I just came here in normal clothing." **

**"Oh really? Prove it."**

**"I came on Mentor Qin Song's behalf. I even have the message he wanted me to send to you or whoever is the bureau leader here."**

**"He's not here right now." The blade near his throat is lowered and the building lights up with candles. A woman in a nice dress is revealed next to him.**

**"A girl?'**

**"What? Didn't expect that?"**

**"Well... uh... I... uh..."**

**"I know you now. You're the talk of the female Assassins. And they don't talk of you in a nice way either."**

**"Okay, okay! I get it! But... wait... Who was the male voice just now?"**

**"Oh, me." A tall man in simple robes and a soft face with a small goatee approaches him. **

**"Pleasure to meet you. I am Lu Su. I work with my lady here. There are a few more like me here, but they are busy right now."**

**"May I ask on this woman's name?"**

**"Oh! My bad, I should introduce myself. I am Sun Shang Xiang. But most people just call me Lady Sun. The nobles anyway."**

**"...Sun...? No, wait... Are you related to Sun Quan or the Sun family in general?"**

**"Yes, I am his younger sister."**

**"So you're Sun Jian's daughter?"**

**"Yes."**

**"I'd listen to our brothers and sisters talk about him when I was a child." **

**"He was an extraordinary man that was taken away from us too soon. My brother too. All I have is Quan. ****Now let me see the message." Lady Sun takes the paper from Huang Shi Er and looks at it.**

**"...What? No way." Lu Su looks over to her. "What is it?"**

**"There are two Templar Grand Masters."**

**"This can't be. There is always only one Grand Master leading all of the Templars like how the Assassins have one Mentor."**

**"It is probably someone that Cao Cao trusts so much, he lets that person take over some of his operations." said Lady Sun.**

**"The report said this Grand Master is not that active. His operations pop up once in a while and they finish by the time we catch wind of it." told Huang Shi Er.**

**"No matter. He seems not that powerful compared to Cao Cao."**

**"We cannot just ignore this. We have to find out this second Grand Master sooner or later." Someone walks by the window to quickly drop a scroll as they walked by. Lu Su goes to the window to take it. He unravels it and looks at its writing.**

**"Zhou Yu is moving to Jiangling. I have to go."**

**"I thought Cao Cao was weakened after Chibi."**

**"He still has Cao Ren defending Nanjun. Zhou Yu is positioning the army over there along Liu Bei. He wants to take it for Wu."**

**"Is this Zhou Yu the leader for this bureau?"**

**"Yes, but I don't think he'll be still one in his condition..."**

**"How so?"**

**"He's been very ill ever since Chibi. I have to go to him in order for him to not over-exert himself."**

**"What about Liu Bei? Is he someone?"**

**"He's getting powerful thanks to Chibi. Lord Sun Quan is keeping an eye on him."**

**"What about Cao Ren? Do I need to take care of him?"**

**"He's heavily protected by those generals I mentioned earlier. You can't touch him."**

**"What is for you, Sun Shang Xiang?" Lady Sun says to him, ****"I can't do anything. I'm married off to Liu Bei and I can't let them know about our operations. Especially that stuck-up Zhuge Liang."**

**"Is Liu Bei and his army Templars or Assassins?"**

**"Most of them don't know about the Templars and Assassins. At least, I think. Right now, I'm married to Liu Bei in order to establish an alliance between Wu and Shu." Lu Su says,"We do not find anything, even with Lady Sun's marriage to Liu Bei. But, even the most perfect man will slip up."**

**"I shall leave you two. I know you're both busy." Lu Su says to him,"Actually, in the letter, Master Zhou Yu knew about someone coming here. He knows about you and would like to ask for you to go to him."**

**"Sure. I shall go now." Huang Shi Er walks out of the bureau's door.**

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><p><span><strong>Jiangling Main Camp<strong>

**Huang Shi Er, in his armor, walks into a tent to see a man with long hair standing over a table with a map spread over it. He looks up to show a face that puts most women to shame, but he had dark circles around his eyes.**

**"Oh, there you are." He walks over to greet Huang Shi Er.**

**"Greetings. I am Zhou Yu."**

**"I am Huang Shi Er. You called for me? And w****hat do you need me to do?"**

**"I already sent Guan Yu and Su Fei to block off Cao Ren's supply lines and attack the rear. But... that isn't the reason why I called you here."**

**"How long has it been since you sent him?"**

**"About a day and a half since we were stationed here. A messenger runs into the tent. He gets down on one knee and proclaims,"Guan Yu has been defeated by Yue Jin and Wen Ping!" **

**" **Shénme**?!"** **(What?!) "What happened?"**

**"His supply depot and naval fleet have been burnt down! He is retreating back." Zhou Yu dismisses the messenger and turns to Huang Shi Er.**

**"Looks like this isn't going well."**

**"It isn't. Huff... Okay, here's your assignment. Go eavesdrop on Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei."**

**"Why? Isn't the supply depot-"**

**"I can order Liu Bei to do that. Right now, I'm suspicious of Shu. I need to make sure Lord Sun Quan sees that he is a threat and he is to be eliminated. He needs evidence, of course, so I'm asking you to get that."**

**"Yes, sir." ****He bows and was about to leave when a man in green armor walks in. **

**"Oh, excuse me. Am I interrupting something?" **

**Zhou Yu tells him. ****"No, he was just leaving." He makes a small discreet gesture for Huang Shi Er to leave. He lifts the flap up and walks out. Huang Shi Er stands near the tent and listens to the conversation through the fabric.**

**"Liu Bei. What is it now?"**

**"I apologize on Guan Yu's defeat. Thus, I have a proposal for you."**

**"Oh? Let's hear it."**

**"I will protect your army's rear and flank by leading my army to take the four commanderies south of the Yangtze that Cao Cao has under his control."**

**"Hmm... Fine. You have my permission to lead your men to take those commanderies."**

**"Yes, thank you. I shall go." The tent flap is lifted and Huang Shu Er walks away quickly to avoid getting seen by Liu Bei. Liu Bei turns to walk away and Huang Shi Er follows him through blending in with the groups of soldiers in the camp. He continues to walk and blend until he see Liu Bei stop outside the camp. A man in a goatee and holding a fan walks up to him.**

**"So did you get his permission?"**

**"Yes. Now all we need to do it take those commanderies."**

**"There are little men to defend at those points, they will surrender once you step into their territory."**

**"That is good to hear. We shall set for them at this moment. Rally the troops." The man bows and walks way from Liu Bei. Liu Bei turns around in suspicion and Huang Shi Er hides in a group of socializing soldiers. He turns back to walk away with Huang Shi Er tailing him.**

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><p><strong>At nightfall, Huang Shi Er lifts up the tent flap to walk in to see Zhou Yu sitting at a desk with a candle barely lighting the up the area.<strong>

**"You're back. Did you get anything?"**

**"The administrators surrendered without a fight and turned in their commanderies over to Liu Bei in a blink of an eye. And here's another interesting thing I saw. A rebel by the name of Lei Xu has joined up with Liu Bei. His army has now doubled because of him."**

**"How does a mere shoemaker manage to get this much power in such a short amount of time...? It baffles me..."**

**"Sun Jian was only 17 when he killed a pirate and eventually enlisted in the military. All men have humble beginnings."**

**"Sun Jian had talent. Liu Bei relies on his followers entirely. Especially that Zhuge Liang."**

**"Who's he?"**

**"You cannot miss him. He always carries a fan."**

**"Then I saw him. I see Liu Bei talks to him a lot as I was tailing them."**

**"Exactly. He relies on him too much and that will be his downfall."**

**"Maybe, maybe not."**

**"Oh, trust me. Men like him don't last long in this world."**

**"Like how you aren't going to last long now?" Zhou Yu looks at him with a face whose eyes get narrower and narrower.**

**"Get out."**

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><p><strong>"Arrrgh... I'm beat..." Huang Shi Er removes all of his armor and lies on a makeshift bed of cloths he made in an old unused shack. <strong>

**"Grr... I can't believe I don't get a tent to sleep in... I shouldn't have said that to Zhou Yu..." He hears cries of agony outside and gets up quickly. **

**"Huh?" He grabs his sword and runs out the shack in the direction of the yelling. The cries get louder and louder as Huang Shi Er is closing in on a patch of forest. He finds cover behind a tree trunk and looks over to see a looming figure over a blood covered old man.**

**"Stop yelling! Or else I'm going to have to chop off another limb." The man slowly lifts himself and spits out blood.**

**"What do you want...? Money?" He receives a kick to the abdomen from the figure. He yells out and coughs more blood.**

**"You know what I want! Don't play dumb, old man!"**

**"Hehehehe... Continue this and you'll never know..."**

**"Where is it?!"**

**"I don't know what you're talking about."**

**"NRRRRAGH!" The figure takes out a sword to cut down the bloodied old man in a blind rage. It moves away to disappear into the forest foliage. Huang Shi Er moves out of his spot next to the tree to go over to the body of the recently slain man. He searches the body to find a small box. He puts it off and continues to search the body to find pouches of coins.**

**"Lucky for me a rich bastard was killed here. Looks like I'm living easily tomorrow night.**** Now let me see what's in the box." He gets the small box and opens it to find a key. A folded up paper was inside and Huang Shi Er takes it to read.**

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><p><strong><em>Dear whomever has found this box,<em>**

**_I am dead by the time you read this, so you can use that key to open my secret collection of riches I have accumulated over the years. I have no one left in my life to give this wealth to. Hopefully, you will make use of this. _**

**_And who am I? All you need to know is I am a merchant that lost his life. Below this message is a map to where my riches are hidden._**

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><p><strong>Huang Shi Er turns the paper around to see an Assassin insignia drawn in blood. He then turns it back to observe the map.<strong>

**"This man was in some way connected to the Order... Well, he was so kind to freely give away his cash to some stranger, I can't let it go to waste." He runs back to his shack to gather his things. Then, he walks to the Nanjun camp and heads over to the stables. **

**"Hopefully, Zhou Yu wouldn't mind me borrowing a steed..." He opens a gate to let a horse strut out and he lifts himself onto the saddle. Quietly, he rides out of the camp to go onto a trail and then rides fast into the night.**

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><p><strong><span>Unknown area<span>**

**It was morning and Huang Shi Er yawns loudly as he wakes up from lying on the dirt ground.**

**"I must have fallen asleep while searching... Nnrragh..." He stretches and gets up. He takes the map to look at it.**

**"This shows a cave near a set of four generic trees. I'm at the trees, but I don't see a cave." He heads to the four trees and stands in the middle. **

**"Well, there should be a switch or something..." He closes his eyes for a moment and opens them quickly. He quickly walks up to the third tree and takes out his sword to cut away at it at a certain area. After a while, the trunk reveals a lever in its wood. Huang Shi Er pulls it and the ground shakes for a crack in the ground to appear. It splits the ground apart and a set of descending stairs noisily slide out.**

**"Explains the cave drawing at the middle of these trees..." He heads down the stairs and into the underground tunnel. The walls were crumbling and water is seen seeping above.**

**"I hope this doesn't collapse onto me before I find what I came for." Huang Shi Er walks for what seemed like a mile and comes across a gate with a large lock at its middle. **** Huang Shi Er takes his key and uses it to open the gate. **

**"Huff... This better be worth it..." He walks into a large room filled with many items of value. Swords lined the walls, coins were overflowing out of chests, and a single stand in the middle of the room had a clear skull sitting on top of it. Huang Shi Er lets out a loud laugh and runs over to a chest to lift its lid with as much power as possible. He lets coins fall between his fingers and he takes out a pouch to fill it up with coins.**

**"Haha! I never got this much from doing assassin work alone!** **Ahh... how am I going to carry all of this back...?" He turns from the chest and sees the crystal skull. **

**"Oh?" He gets a closer look and looks with widen eyes.**

**"A crystal skull! Or is it diamond? But... I already have that giant chest of money, so I don't need to sell this." He takes the skull into his hands and he looks closely at it. He hears a voice,"Hello? Pan Ying? Is that you?"**

**"Ah! Where is this voice coming from...?" Huang Shi Er looks around him quickly and looks at the skull again. His eyes see an old man's face at its core. He blinks hard and looks again to still see the old man.**

**"Grr..." His eyes then focused and the old man's face was more visible to him. It showed an older man with a long beard.**

**"Mentor...?"**

**"Huang Shi Er? What? How did you get the skull you're holding? What happened to Pan Ying?"**

**"He... died."  
><strong>

**"You better have not-"**

**"No! He was killed and I... found his body..."**

**"You looted him. I can't believe you!"**

**"Look, I didn't know! Who was he?"**

**"I suppose I can tell you considering you have another assignment once you finish up at Wu. He was someone on the inside that followed Liu Bei everywhere as a merchant. Looks like someone got a clue and killed him."**

**"About the assignment you were about to give me..."**

**"That will be later. I know you're away from Jiangling. Get back there."**

**"Yes."**

**"I know you stole some money-"**

**"He's dead! He's not going to use it!"**

**"Ugh... Fine. Keep this skull with you so I can contact you." Huang Shi Er quickly puts the skull back onto the stand and the skull angrily responds,"You will take this! You may be a strong warrior, but you are immature! Your arrogance will be the end of you!"**

**"Not with my skills."**

**"Take it or don't bother coming back!"**

**"Fine. I'll take the skull." Huang Shi Er reluctantly takes the skull and walks out. **

**"Mentor... What sorcery is this? I can talk to you despite not being in front of you. What is with this skull?"**

**"It is a strange piece of technology indeed. But convenient. It's best if we don't question it. For now."**

**"Alright... whatever you say..."**


	2. Chapter 2

**Jiangling Main Camp  
><strong>

**Huang Shi Er rides his horse into the camp and sees men scurrying around to bring in wounded men into small tents. Yelling is heard throughout the camp.**** Huang Shi Er heads towards a tent and a general stops him.**

**"The commander is recovering in here! What does some mere soldier want to even approach this place?"**

**"Han Dang, let him be. I needed a word with him anyway." Zhou Yu was standing at the tent's entrance and Lu Su quickly runs to him.**

**"What are you doing? You'll open that wound!"**

**"I'm not done for yet. You, a word." Huang Shi Er walks into the tent and Zhou Yu goes over to his bed and sits down. Lu Su stands next to the bed with Huang Shi Er. Huang Shi Er asks,"What happened here?"**

**"Cao Ren attacked the camp and Ling Tong at the time had drove him out. But Cao Ren managed to keep his army's morale up and now they've set up camps around us. I personally led raids against them, but I got hit with an arrow and it broke my rib."**

**"What is it you need me for now?"**

**"Anything on Liu Bei?"**

**"I think your priority should be with Cao Ren right now."**

**"Get rid of him."**

**"Who?"**

**"Cao Ren."****  
><strong>

**"I thought he was heavily protected."**

**"Do whatever it takes." Han Dang ****walks in abruptly. He announces,"Cao Ren is outside and is throwing insults at us!" Zhou Yu is about to get up and Lu Su and the general make him sit back down.**

**"No! Your wound is not healed yet! You will open it if you hear those harsh words!"**

**"Let go of me! The men will become unmotivated if I am to be just sitting here, letting Cao Ren spout untrue words about me!" Zhou Yu throws off the two and heads over to the tent entrance.**

**Outside of the camp and at the top of a hill, a man in big bulking blue armor yells out towards the camp.**

**"Hey! Zhou Yu! Didn't you want to take Nanjun away from me? So why are lying immobile like a turtle? Are you hatching eggs?" The enemy army erupts in laughter and threw insults building off of that.**

**"Hey, turtle! Come on out!"**

**"We'll break open your shell!"**

**"Finish hatching your eggs and surrender!" Zhou Yu furrows his brow at the insults and barges back into his tent. Huang Shi Er follows him back in and asks,"Aren't you hurt? Don't go out there!" Lu Su and Han Dang tell Zhou Yu.**

**"You're over exerting yourself!"**

**"You're in no condition to fight!"**

**"Who said we're fighting?"**

**"Huh?"**

**"Han Dang, gather up some men and we go to face Cao Ren!" Lu Su sighs and walks away to speak with Huang Shi Er.**

**"He's not changing his mind. But this looks like a good chance to kill Cao Ren for you. But I suggest getting to him before Zhou Yu gets a chance to throw something back at him."**

**"I don't know... I don't think even me myself can get past all of that..." Zhou Yu was in full armor and walks out of the tent. Huang Shi Er follows and walks near him.**

**"If you're not fighting, what are you going to do?"**

**"They think I'm hurt and an invalid. I'll show them." He lifts himself onto a horse that was readied for him and rides off with a small group of men.**** Huang Shi Er gets a horse himself and rides out with his hood on. Cao Ren yells out,"Open your camp and surrender and I might spare your life!" Zhou Yu yells out to Cao Ren, "Cao Ren, you boor! I am here! Men! Who dares to seize Cao Ren?"**

**"I will!" yelled out a general. Another general from across yells out,"Don't get arrogant!" He charges towards them and drums are beaten in rhythm. Cao Ren yells to his men.**

**"Brothers! Let us all insult Zhou Yu together!" The army loudly chants,"His Excellency has ordered Zhou Yu to present Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao and surrender to the court to have his life spared!" Cao Ren then yells out.**

**"Zhou Yu! Listen! His Excellency has said this! After you surrender, Da Qiao goes to me! Hahaha! He'll have Xiao Qiao as his concubine!" Zhou Yu can be seen holding anger behind his calm face. Huang Shi Er asks,"Who are-" Han Dang hits him and whispers to him.**

**"**Zhùkǒu.** (Shut up.) Those two are sisters and one of them is his beloved wife. The other was the wife of the late Sun Ce. Happy? Now be quiet." The yelling continues**.

**"I have a good job in mind for you! You are only fit to be His Excellency's stableboy and to clean my chamberpot and wash my feet!" The Wei army laughs loudly and Zhou Yu lets out a deep breath. He spits out red and falls off his horse. The generals all yell out in worry.**

**"Grand Commander!****"**

**"No! No! Don't die!"**

**"Wake up!" Zhou Yu tells the soldiers in a lowered voice.**

**"Hurry up and cry. Let them know I am dead. Hurry and cry!" The men made very desperate cries in order to deceive the opposite side that Zhou Yu died. Zhou Yu moves his eyes towards Huang Shi Er and he makes a few gestures that showed clearly he wanted him to finish the job he was given.**

**"Yes, sir." Hunag Shi Er takes a nearby halberd and rides out to meet the Wei army. He can see the army looking over him to see the "dying" commander. Cao Ren looks in surprise at the camp.**

**"Zhou Yu has died of anger?" He laughs. "I never knew he had such a petty mind..." He looks down to see Huang Shi Er.**

**"Who's this?!" A few portions of the army begins to cower. Some yelled."The White Devil's here! We're dead for sure!" Cao Ren yells at the army.**

**"He may have a bloated reputation, but he is human. Cut him, and he will bleed. If he bleeds, he can die." The men started to stand tall and the archers started to shoot arrows down upon Huang Shi Er. He uses his halberd to reflect any arrow that has gotten near him. Once he got close to the army, he strikes and swings, taking as many men as possible. Cao Ren runs to get on a horse and rides away.**

**"Retreat!" The men followed Cao Ren and Huang Shi Er rides next to them. His horse brings him up near the general and he swings his halberd, only to have Cao Ren to dodge it. He yells,"Someone get rid of this pest!" Some soldiers ran to Huang Shi Er's horse and began to cut at him. He cuts them all away from him with a few swings. He turns back to chase Cao Ren and stands on his horse. He jumps from it to attempt to stab Cao Ren with the halberd. But when he was about to let himself fall with his polearm, an arrow files into his chest. He cries out and falls, letting the halberd miss Cao Ren. The army's men tries to trample him, but he uses a smoke bomb to make a certain area of the army cough and rub their eyes. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.**

* * *

><p><strong>At the camp, Huang Shi Er walks in with the arrow with in his chest. He pulls it out and throws it off. No blood is seen on his body or the arrow. A small hole is seen where he was shot on his armor.<strong>

**"I don't need to repair this right now. Huff... I was so close..."**

**"Huang Shi Er! That was some stupid move you made there!" Huang Shi Er jumps and runs to a secluded area of the camp and takes out the crystal skull.**

**"Mentor, I didn't have time to strategize! It was then or never! And how did you know I even did that?"**

**"Scouts in the area reported you. One failure after another-"**

**"What happened out there? Is Cao Ren dead?" Huang Shi Er quickly hides the skull on his person and turns around to see Zhou Yu.**

**"I... couldn't do it..."**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"His men were high on morale and he himself was a powerful commander..."**

**"**Fèihuà.** (Nonsense.) You did attack from behind? Even the best of generals can't protect themselves from that."**

**"No... I charged in."**

**"What kind of assassin charges in? Did you even think before you tried to kill Cao Ren? Isn't it your job to do things discreetly?"**

**"...I... You gave me these signs.. and... You told me whatever it takes!"**

**"Whatever that will actually work. Not something thought up in an naive recruit's head."**

**"Whatever. Cao Ren thinks you're dead and you can do whatever you need to do. Just because you are an associate of the Order doesn't mean we have to support your kingdom to rule this country."**

**"I never asked for you people to support us. The fact you hinder Wei is enough for us."**

**"Really? When we killed Guo Jia, Chibi was easy for you."**

**"That was a coincidence."**

**"No, I know you want to make sure Wu is the one that comes out of this chaotic land with Wei and Shu as the cinders below you. The reason why you even called me here is that you can get rid of Cao Ren and get dirt off of Liu Bei and his men. Well, you know what? I'm done here."**

**"What is your purpose?"**

**"No, I'm finished here."**

**"Why do you fight? Why are you alive now?"**

**"I don't have time for this philosophy stuff."**

**"I see. You have nothing to live for in this world. You will need something to fight for or you're just a waste of resources." ****Huang Shi Er walks away from Zhou Yu, ignoring his comment.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er leans on a tree holding his crystal skull. He lifts it up towards the sky to let the moonlight reflect on it. A voice echoes through it and he puts it close to him.<strong>

**"It seems your mission is finished. Come back and I will give you your new assignment."**

**"Yes, Mentor..." He puts away his skull and he sighs deeply. He was on a cliff and the view had most of the Wu kingdom in view. He stares off for a moment and gets up.**

**"Well, better get going..." He turns away from the cliff and walks away.**

* * *

><p><strong>The large black doors opens loudly to have Huang Shi Er walk. Qin Song walks up to greet him.<strong>

**"Ah, there you are. Did you have a good trip?"**

**"Yes. Now what do you need?"**

**"Considering all of your failures attempting to kill any of Wei's generals and you letting Cao Cao slip through your fingers at Chibi, I have a proposal for you. You claim no one has seen your face?"**

**"Yes. Anyone who has was or is dead."**

**"Well, this is good. I want you to join Wei as a scholar."**

**"...Excuse me. I had water in my ears from swimming in the Yangtze. Can you repeat that?"**

**"But of course, you have to make yourself stand out in order for Xun Yu to recommend you to Cao Cao..."**

**"Wait... what? I can't be a scholar!"**

**"Why not? I've taught you Sun Tzu's Art of War. You've read it five times when you were young. There were more books I made you read, so why couldn't you be a scholar?"**

**"Wouldn't a warrior be better for him...? And me?"**

**"You don't remember my teachings, don't you?"**

**"Yes, I do! It's just... It would be boring! And**** warriors are more likely to be known!"**

**"Cao Cao favors intelligence over strength. Having both will make him the happiest though..."**

**"Yes! I can do both! That will get this Xun Yu man to get me! Who's Xun Yu?"**

**"He is Cao Cao's top adviser. He recommended Guo Jia to him and many more into Wei's service. He is dangerous since he is recruiting potential Templars."**

**"Wait, those guys became Templars or were Templars?"**

**"They all became Templars after being exposed to Cao Cao."**

**"Well, he has a silver tongue, I guess..."**

**"That's why I want you to go in there. You can eliminate Templars from the inside."**

**"Won't they suspect me?"**

**"That's up to you. You need a full persona. Do what you need to do."**

**"...Yes... Mentor..." Huang Shi Er walks away from his mentor while making a nervous expression. A man in an eyepatch storms up to him. He had a scar that cuts through his face and to his neck.**

**"I can't believe Mentor gave you such a responsibility!"**

**"Come on... This again, Wei Jin...?"**

**"Ever since Chibi, you've been slacking off! I don't understand why does Mentor even stand you!"**

**"We're all of his children, so it wouldn't really matter... You lost your eye thanks to your cockiness."**

**"Look who's talking."**

**"Blah,blah..." A female Assassin walks by and Huang Shi Er tails her. He gets pushed away by the female assassin.**

**"GO!"**

**"Alright, alright!" Wei Jin glares at Huang Shi Er as he was walking away.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Xuchang, Capital of Wei 209 A.D<strong>

**Huang Shi Er was in a scholar outfit and walks up the stairs. He mutters to himself.**

**"This better work... or I wasted a year of my life..." A man in elegant blue robes walks down to meet him. He had long hair tied into a ponytail and sported a very handsome face.**

**"Evening. You are Song Xian...? Funny, I knew a man who served Lu Bu was named Song Xian."**

**"Coincidence much...?"**

**"I've heard of your talent from a lot of associates. I am Xun Yu. I thought I'd greet you myself."**

**"I am humbled to get such treatment."**

**"Why don't I escort you to meet His Excellency?"**

**"That will be nice." Xun Yu leads him into the large palace and Huang Shi Er mutters to himself.**

**"Goddamn, I'm going to die..." Xun Yu turns to him quickly.**

**"What was that? I didn't hear that."**

**"Nothing. I just coughed." Xun Yu opens the large red doors to walk into a court being in session. A man in golden robes and hat with beads falling in front and behind his head. Another man was sitting next to him. He had a beard and had eyes that could tear into a man's soul. Xun Yu says,"Oh, am I interrupting something? I can escort this man-" The man gets up and says,"No, no. Come. I want to see who is this man the officials talk so much about." Xun Yu turns to Huang Shi Er.**

**"His Excellency is over there." Huang Shi Er breathes deeply and walks down past all of the court officials staring at him. He makes it to the front of the room. He turns to get a glimpse of the man in the golden robes, but the bearded man makes him turn.**

**"Another man wishes to serve me. You are a smart man, indeed. Your talent will not go to waste here. Tell me your name."**

**"...Song Xian..."**

**"Really? A fine name. I am Cao Cao. Unfortunately, you've caught me at a bad time, so I can't exactly give you a proper introduction. I shall ask Xun Yu to help you get accustomed here."**

**"I am humbled-"**

**"Don't be humble. You're part of my army. And I treat my army like if they were my own brothers. Now you can go." Huang Shi Er walks back to Xun Yu. Xun Yu turns to walk out the palace with Huang Shi Er following behind. He looks down to think to himself.**

**"_...He doesn't seem that evil like a Templar... No! He might be just buttering me up! I'll just see what's going on here." _He asks Xun Yu,"So, how did you get here? I mean, how did you start working for Cao Cao?"  
><strong>

**"I originally worked at the capital long time ago. The time before Dong Zhou took over, that is. I had to flee, and I found work under a man named Yuan Shao. I left him for Cao Cao a few years later. And here I am."**

**"Wow. Interesting." They walk into a area with a pond and a small bridge going over it. When they walked over the bridge, a man in purple robes is seen walking in front of them. He had long hair that hanged below past his shoulders and had a young face but had bags under his eyes.**

**"Who is that?"**

**"That is Sima Yi. He is an adviser to Cao Cao that I personally recommended myself. Cao Cao even considered us to be equals." Xun Yu goes up to the man and greets him.**

**"Evening. Master Sima Yi. How are your studies with His Excellency's son?"**

**"Going well. As always. He is his father's son. Who is this new face?"**

**"He is the new recruit. You've heard me speak of him."**

**"Oh, the scholar that has the wisdom of an old sage while he has the strength of a thousand men. An uncanny combination." Huang Shi Er looks into Sima Yi's eyes and he gets a chill down into his very soul. His eyes were narrow and had a tint of sulfur at his pupils. Xun Yu says to Sima Yi,"Why don't you show this man his work space? His Excellency assigned him to you to show him the ropes."**

**"Don't you and His Excellency worry about me. I'm sure he'll fit right in..." Sima Yi turns and walks away. He stops to turn to Huang Shi Er.**

**"Aren't you coming?"**

**"Oh... Yes... I'm just a little nervous, I guess..."**

**"Don't be. It makes you weak and Cao Cao doesn't like weak."**

**"...Yes..." He follows Sima Yi out of the garden while thinking:**

_**He gives off a very uncomfortable aura... What is it? He's just some adviser, right? Gah, I'm thinking too hard on this. He's probably just aloof.**_

* * *

><p><strong>"So... How did you start working for Cao Cao...?" asked Huang Shi Er. Sima Yi replies,"I didn't want to originally want to work for him. I actually pretended that I was an invalid so Cao Cao would just forget about me. But in the end, I had to work for him because he threatened me with jail time. So, why did you join Wei?"<strong>

**"I felt like my talent should be used for things worthwhile." Sima Yi laughs and says to him happily, ****"You think like me. I think we will get along quite nicely."**

**They walk into a building with books lining the walls in shelves. Desks had scrolls piled on their surfaces.**

**"This is where I mostly work. I am also a tutor to Cao Cao's eldest son."**

**"You like calling the superiors by their actual names, do you...?"**

**"Why not? Cao Cao's ears can't pick up everything. And here's a little fun piece of trivia I think you should know. My father was Cao Cao's former employer. I think I have some right to calling him his name. If you need anything, I'll be organizing this room."**

**"That's it?"**

**"What did you expect? Cao Cao needs to recover from Chibi."**

**"Well..." Sima Yi throws a pouch of coins at Huang Shi Er and he catches it quickly.**

**"Take it. Go drink at a tavern or spend it on a prostitute."**

**"Ah! No! Maybe the drinking... But never the prostitu-"**

**"Just go or unless you want to help me with these scrolls."**

**"I'll go." He turns away to walk out the door.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er walks down the busy streets of a city outside of the palace. He bumps shoulders with every step he takes.<strong>

**"Argh... I didn't realize how crowed this place is..." He makes it out of the large crowds and walks into a tavern. He looks around at all the drunks and he sighs.**

**"Might as well... I need it..." He drops the pouch of coins he was given by Sima Yi from before on the bar table. The barkeep looks at him with disbelief.**

**"You sure?"**

**"Yes! Just give me fifty of bottles of that stuff." The barkeep shrugs and takes the money to in turn place bottles of alcohol on the table. Huang Shi Er takes one to chug down its contents in a few gulps. He continues this until each bottle was empty.**

**An hour later, Huang Shi Er staggers out the tavern and wobbles out onto the street.**

**"Nrrrgh...! Get away from me! Where are the women?! Come on! Nrrgh..." He pushes down people and walks onto a large bridge that was bustling with people. He bumps constantly and angry yells are heard.**

**"Hey! Get off, you drunk!"**

**"Uncivilized swine!"**

**"Get away from me!" Some people eventually pushed him off the bridge and he falls into the river below. He flails around, but his body gives out.**

**Huang Shi Er opens his eyes to see a ceiling. He gets up to cough and looks around to find himself in a house. There were bronze candle holders and the overall room was fit for a noble. The bed he was in had embroidered covers and silk curtains covering the bed posts.**

**"Where am I...? Ugh... my head..."**

**"Don't get up." A voice is heard near him.**

**"Ugh... where are you...?"**

**"I'm in front of you."**

**"All I see is a blur..."**

**"Lie down. You had too much alcohol and it's making your head hurt."**

**"Whaa...? How did you know...?"**

**"I can smell it on your breath." Huang Shi Er's vision clears up and he sees a woman. She had brown hair and a face pure as silk.**

**"Oh myyy... Are you an angel...?"  
><strong>

**"...I see the alcohol has not wore off on you yet..."**

**"You're really beautiful... Who are you?"**

**"You don't need to know my name."**

**"Where am I?"**

**"My house. My husband should be coming here any minute. I sent him a letter telling him about your appearance. You look like an official, so he should know you."**

**"Awww... You're married? It's always the pretty ones who get taken..." The woman sighs and turns away from him. A little boy walks in and asks the women.**

**"**Mama, tā shì shuí?"** (Mommy, who is he?)**

**"Oh, no one, dear. Why are you up?"**

**"I'm not tired. I don't want a nap." The woman goes up to the boy and picks him up. She turns to Huang Shi Er.**

**"Don't get out."**

**"Uhhh-huh. I won't..." The woman leaves and a few voices are heard.**

**"Oh, you're here."**

**"I know exactly who you took into our home. I'm not angry, because it's mostly my fault."**

**"Huh?" Footsteps are heard and Sima Yi is seen walking through the doorway. He looks at Huang Shi Er and loudly sighs.**

**"Heeeey! Master... Sooma... Sima Yi... Why are you here...? Where's the pretty lady...?"**

**"I gave you the money for anything you want. But I didn't know you were an alcoholic..."  
><strong>

**"Hey! I'm not an alcoholic! I can stop whenever I want!" Huang Shi Er sits up quickly and he holds his head in pain.**

**"Nrrrgh..."**

**"My money must have bought a little too many bottles for you. Huff... You can rest here until you feel better."**

**"Who was the lady? Can I see her...?"**

**"That was my wife, and no." said Sima Yi flatly.**

**"Coome on...! Fine.. who was the little man that had such a annoying voice..?"**

**"That was my son. I know you have decent motor skills, so don't act stupid about the people in here."**

**"You don't give up, do you?"**

**"I have yet to see your so-called talent. Maybe once Cao Cao decides to attack, that's when I'll see it." Huang Shi Er was snoring loudly after he said the last sentence.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Huang Shi Er rubs his eyes as he gets up from the bed. He gets up slowly and stretches.**

**"Nrrgh... Last time I blow all my money on drinks..."**

**"I see you're up." Sima Yi was in the doorway. ****"Do you have a house around here? If so, I can ask for a carriage to be-"**

**"No,no... I've already gave you too much crap to deal with..." Huang Shi Er walks past Sima Yi and gets out of the house. As he was walking, the little boy from before was tugging his pant leg.**

**"Are you like **Ba Ba**?" (Daddy?)**

**"Huh...?" Sima Yi catches up to them. He picks up the boy and holds him.**

**"I guess that's your boy."**

**"Yes. You were still intoxicated when you first ****saw him, so I guess you weren't properly introduced. Shi, this is Master Song Xian."**

**"Shi is his name, huh? ****Now that I get a better look, he really resembles you. I should go. I don't want to bother your family anymore than I already have. I thank you for your hospitality. **Zàijiàn.**"**** (Goodbye.)**

"Zàijiàn, **(Goodbye) Uncle Xian." Huang Shi Er quickly turns to face the door to hide his blush. He slides open the door to walk out into the night.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er walks around the empty streets of the city. He looks at a vacant spot and something clicks in him.<strong>

**"I have an idea on how to use all of that money in that chest..." He takes out the skull and speaks to it.**

**"Mentor, I have an idea for all of that money Pan Ying left. I need an estate if I'm going to keep this cover up." The skull faintly replies,"I see... I shall send some men out disguised as normal workers to transport the money. Have you yet to find any contractors?"**

**"It's night."**

**"You've got to find one or you're going to have to sleep on the ground of a pig sty."**

**"When are the men going to bring the coins?"**

**"I've already sent them. Before midnight, you should get the coins sack by sack."**

**"More waiting, I guess..."**

**"Have you made any friends? You can ask that friend to let you stay in their home for the time being."**

**"...I do... But... I already bothered him enough..."**

**"Huff... You hit on his spouse or you were drunk in front of him?"**

**"Both...?"**

**"Is he mad?"**

**"He... We have an understanding."**

**"Then go stay with him." The skull then becomes silent. Huang Shi Er sighs.**

**"...I have to go back..."**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er walks up to the door of Sima Yi's household and knocks on the door. The door slides open to have the woman that cared for him before.<strong>

**"You again. Are you drunk?"**

**"No. I'm fine. Is it okay if I stayed inside for a bit? I... don't live around here..."**

**"Alright, I'll go tell Sima Yi about your presence."**

**"Oh! I never got your name."**

**"You better be not be hitting on me."**

**"No,no,no!" Before he could explain, the woman walks away from the door. Huang Shi Er lets himself in the house and he closes the door. Sima Yi walks up to greet him again.**

**"Huff... You just said goodbye a while ago... My wife told me you said you don't live around here. Then why did you say you did?"**

**"I'm so sorry... I guess I forgotten I wasn't at home..."**

**"My, you were that drunk. Then where are you from really?"**

**"...Uh... I'm from Liang. Yes, Liang province."**

**"Really? What an interesting background. Well, since you are working for Cao Cao, you need an estate here."**

**"That's the thing. Do you know any contractors?"**

**"Yes, I do. I can go ask one on your behalf. Do you have the funds?"**

**"Yes. My... servants are coming this way to transport my chest of coins."**

**"They should be careful. Because bandits can strike anytime."**

**"Suuuure... careful... Anyway, I guess I have to stay here until those men come here and you get a contractor for me. I hope that doesn't bother you..."**

**"Not at all. This means I can get to know you better."**

**"If I may ask, what is your wife's name...?"**

**"Zhang Chunhua."**

**"So, how'd you meet her?"**

**"We didn't meet. My father arranged us to wed when she was only thirteen."**

**"Oh... Well... I..."**

**"Enough about me. How about you? Are you married?"**

**"No... I have no actual family. I'm an orphan."**

**"Rags to riches, eh? What did you do to acquire such wealth?"**

**"I...worked for... someone of the Yuan family... as an adviser."**

**"Ah, the Yuans... The family that used to be so glorious. Now they're in the ground, somewhere on Bailang Mountain. I'm assuming after they died out, you stole some of their wealth?"**

**"No! They... well... They bribed me a lot and at the time, I needed the money..."**

**"That's in the past hopefully. You will make a more honest living here. You can make yourself comfortable while I send a letter for a contractor I know of." Sima Yi leaves Huang Shi Er for him to walk into a room with a single table at it's center. He takes a seat near it and he taps the table with his fingers.**

**"...How am I supposed to do this? So many men in his army, so many generals, so many advisers... Darn..." He feels a tug on his leg and he looks down to see Sima Shi under the table.**

**"Oh... You're trying to escape from your mother or father again, huh?"**

**"You look like one of those warriors in my books. Are you sure you're not in the army?"**

**"I work with your father in organizing scrolls..."**

**"Isn't that boring?"**

**"So you want to be a warrior then?"**

**"No, you die easily."**

**"...Well, this kid knows what's up."**

**"I want to be smarter than everyone here!"  
><strong>

**"This child has some priorities..." The woman walks in and bends down to see her son under the table.**

**"Shi, come out from under there. You are going to bed this instant."**

**"But I'm not tired..." Huang Shi Er gets out of his chair to kneel down to look at the child.**

**"If you don't sleep, how will you grow?"**

**"By time!"**

**"Time AND nutrition. Sleep is good for your body."**

**"But I'm not tired..."**

**"Then make yourself tired. Run around until you drop." Sima Shi gets out from under the table and runs away from Huang Shi Er.**

**"Try to catch me!"**

**"Huh? What? Argh!" Huang Shi Er runs after Sima Shi around the house.**

**"How is it that a child small as you be so fast?!" He reaches for Sima Shi, but he slides under a table.**

**"Haha!"**

**Haha yourself!" He quickly climbs over the table with extreme agility. Sima Shi continues to run away before his mother steps right in front of him and she catches him.**

**"Got you!"**

**"Awww... I was having so much fun! Uncle Xian climbed over things so fast!" Huang Shi Er catches up to the two. He pants heavily while letting out a few words with each breath.**

**"Huff... You got him... Huff..."**

**"I hope you didn't break anything."**

**"Trust me, I didn't... I just quickly climbed over... things..." Sima Shi was snoring when he was in his mother's arms.**

**"I see he got tired, Lady Zhang Chunhua. Yes, I know your name now."**

**"I'm sorry you had to tire yourself with my son."**

**"It's fine... He's a child, so it's understandable."**

**"He said something about you climbing over obstacles quickly. Is that true?"**

**"What about it?"**

**"For a man that's supposed to be a simple scholar, you seem to be able to move like if you had special martial arts training. Did you have that?"**

**"...Yes! I do have some ability of defending myself."**

**"Anyway, I have to go to put Shi to bed. My husband might be more interesting to talk to for you." She walks away and into a room. Huang Shi Er moves out of that area and goes towards a different area of the house. This room had a giant desk. Scrolls and books were in large shelves around the walls.**

**"Wow..." Huang Shi Er looks around in awe at how many books and scrolls were in the room. He takes a book and looks inside it.**

**"This is a ledger..." He puts it back and takes another book to look at.**

**"A series of poems." He puts that back and gets another book.**

**"What are you doing?" Huang Shi Er jumps and quickly puts the book back. He turns around to see Sima Yi.**

**"I'm just reading some of these books."**

**"You're interested in poems, business ledgers, and war manuals?"**

**"I'm just curious."**

**"Anyway, I already sent for a contractor I know of. You just have to wait. If you absolutely have no place to sleep in, you can sleep in a bed here."**

**"I might need to." He moves his head away and was facing the window. In the darkness, he sees a large cart.**

**"Excuse me, I'm going outside to get some fresh air." Huang Shi Er walks past Sima Yi and goes out of the house. He walks into the courtyard and goes up to the gate and goes out there. The cart stops and a man in a conical hat was the driver.**

**"Hey, are you holding a few chests?"**

**"Who's asking?"**

**"I'm Huang Shi Er. I'm the one who asked Mentor for this."**

**"Oh, evening then. Here are the chests." A few men pop out of from behind cover of the carriage. They lift the giant cloth to reveal chests with coins spilling out.**

**"You men can take a few pouches worth of the money. That is your payment. Now, I need you to carry them into the house."**

**"Yes." Huang Shi Er along with those Assassins carry chests into the building. After a few minutes, Huang Shi Er takes coins to put them in pouches for the men. He tosses them at their hands.**

**"There. Now you can go back." They all bowed and ran back to their cart to drive away into the night. Huang Shi Er slides the door closed and he drags the chests so that they took a small portion of the room. He turns towards the bed and goes up to lay in it.**

**"Huff... I'm just going to have to wait until morning for anything to happen now..." He closes his eyes and drifts to sleep.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er walks into an office building and Cao Cao goes up to greet him.<strong>

**"Hello, Song Xian. Forgive me when yesterday I could properly show you around here. How were Sima Yi and Xun Yu to you?"**

**"They were nice people."**

**"Glad to hear it. Right now, we don't have much to do besides recover and prepare for any movement from Liu Bei and Sun Quan."**

**"So... where do I work now?"**

**"You can work with Xun Yu and Sima Yi in advising me. The cities are doing excellent, so you don't need to be an administrator."**

**"Okay then."**

**"You may go now."**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Xuchang, 210 A.D<strong>

**Huang Shi Er walks around his estate and he takes a book from the shelf. The shelf moves inwards and slides to the left to reveal a hidden passage. He walks down into a room holding maps and red lines cover them. A stand holds the crystal skull and Assassin robes were folded on a table. Huang Shi Er goes up to the map and puts his finger on it. Names were written in small circles around the map.**

**"I need to head down into Wu to see if they pick up any Templar activity in Shu..." He moves away from the map and goes up to his robes. He puts it on and along with some armor. He then puts on his hood to walk out of that room and the shelf slides back into place.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Jianye, Capital of Wu<strong>

**Huang Shi Er walks down a long hallway and enters a room quickly. He sees a large desk and goes up to it. Papers and scrolls covered the surface and Huang Shi Er goes through them quickly.**

**"Not this... Not this..." He gives up on the desk and turns to a shelf. He skims through books and puts them back quickly. He hears footsteps coming toward the room he was in and he quickly slides out of the window in there. He hides himself behind the wall and peeks from behind to see Lu Su sorting through his files. He casually acts as if he had just came there and Lu Su looks up to see him.**

**"Oh, it's been a while. Do you have a message or you just came to visit Zhou Yu?"**

**"How is Zhou Yu?"**

**"...Not good. He has been in bed these last few weeks and the doctor said he isn't going to make it."**

**"Can I see him for a bit?"**

**"Sure. You can slide on in through this window instead of you going all the way back to get to the gate." Huang Shi Er does that and he walks with Lu Su so that they go into the main building. They make a turn to see Zhou Yu lying in bed in white robes. A woman was sitting at his bedside with a face of melancholy and her cheeks showed that she had been crying. Lu Su goes up to her.**

**"Lady Qiao, you shouldn't pain yourself-"**

**"I have every right to be with my husband's final moments. No matter what you say will deter me from sitting here." Zhou Yu coughs and opens his eyes groggily.**

**"Lu Su... Call for Lord..." He coughs again. "...Sun Quan..." Lu Su looks at him in disbelief.**

**"Zhou Yu..."**

**"Hurry...!" Lu Su runs out of the room and Huang Shi Er gets closer to the bed. Zhou Yu sees him and coughs a few more breaths.**

**"Huff... haa... You... Have you come to laugh at me in my measly state...?"**

**"No, I came here originally to pick up any new info from your bureau, but when Lu Su said you weren't feeling well, I decided to drop by."**

**"The only thing I can give you is that Liu Bei wants to take Yi province from one of his relatives, Liu Zhang. Lady Sun secretly contacted me in order to give me this info..."**

**"And?"**

**"It is just something for you to keep in mind when keeping an eye on Liu Bei." The woman next to them was listening to their conversation.**

**"Excuse me, who are you?"**

**"I'm an associate of Zhou Yu."**

**"My dear, he is not dangerous."**

**"Oh, this is Xiao Qiao I had heard about?"**

**"Yes."**

**"I was told there was a sister."  
><strong>

**"She's not here right now. I don't want her to see me like this anyway... So, what is your mission now?"**

**"Pretend I'm part of Wei and kill any Templar on the inside. But right now I have to earn their trust in order for me to be able to execute anything now."**

**"Hmph... Now you're the strategising type? Who knew two years made such a difference? Have you figured out on what you want in life?"**

**"Not really. I just want to finish my job."**

**"But what is pushing you to finish that job?"**

**"I don't know... What about you? Why do you serve your kingdom so faithfully?"**

**"...I wanted to see the land united under one government again... I am loyal to Wu while one part of me wanted to remain loyal to the Han. But considering how it fell in the first place, it is best to learn from the mistake and start over. That was what I wanted for Wu... To unite the land with a new government, new ideals... But it seems I can no longer look forward to that..."**

**"Hey, don't talk like that. You will make through this."**

**"I appreciate you trying to lighten me up even when face-to-face with death. But in the end, they are empty words... What about you...? DO you think the land will be better with Cao Cao, Liu Bei or Sun Quan? I am not asking you to pick what I want to hear. I want you to say from your own ideals..."**

**"Based on what I have seen, I think-" Loud footsteps are heard from outside. A man quickly walks in. He had red hair and was wearing red silk robes with a tiger embroidered on it. Lu Su is seen following and attempting to match the man's pace.**

**"My lord! Please calm-"**

**"How can I? Zhou Yu has served my family his whole life and I even considered him to be family!" The man walks into the room Zhou Yu was in and stands by the bed.**

**"You can be serious! You can't die on me now! Not at this time! It isn't your time yet!" Lu Su runs into the room to catch up to the man.**

**"Lord Sun Quan... Before I go, I recommend Lu Su as my successor..." Lu Su was shocked and says to Zhou Yu,"Why me? I can't-"**

**"You know of my plans well. Better than anyone, actually. You will do fine."**

**"But... but..." Sun Quan kneels down to look Zhou Yu in the eye.**

**"First my brother, now you. Why must Heaven be so cruel and take you two away from me when I need you the most?" His eyes begin to water and tears flowed down his cheeks. Xiao Qiao 's eyes started to water as well and she cries.**

**"My sister had to feel the pain of losing Sun Ce. Your best friend and sworn brother. Now I will feel her pain..."**

**Zhou Yu coughs loudly and this time it lasts for a full minute before the coughs get even louder. He pants heavily and says hoarsely,****"So this is what death feels like... Goodbye, my love, Lord Sun Quan, Lu Su... And you... Huang Shi Er... Maybe I'll see on the other side in fifty years or so... " His eyes slowly close and his breathing stops. Xiao Qiao and Sun Quan's eyes widen and more tears flowed from their cheeks. Lu Su had tears coming from his eyes as well. Huang Shi Er turns away to cover his face. He only had the tiniest bit of tears and he holds them back. He takes a deep breath and walks out of the building. He stands out on the courtyard and his eyes let out some tears. Huang Shi Er angrily wipes them away.**

**"I only knew him for a while... So why am I crying...? I have killed many people in my life and never shed a tear for them... But this is different..." A tear makes its way out of his eye and he wipes it away.**

**"I should go." He walks away from the courtyard and goes out the gate. Lu Su runs out of the building and calls for Huang Shi Er. He stops and turns.**

**"Your eyes look rather red."**

**"I can see your eyes are red as well."  
><strong>

**"Well..."**

**"You may be an assassin, but you are still human. Don't try to be made of stone."**

**"I only knew him for a bit, yet I cry for him."**

**"The sight of a man you know dying will break the strongest of men. I am Zhou Yu's successor now, and I will have to take over his position as bureau leader. In case you need any work or information, I will be here to give it to you. But for this week, I will be organizing Zhou Yu's funeral."**

**"Of course. I will not bother you this week. I shall go." He bows and walks towards his horse to lift himself up onto it.**

**"Ha!" He rides into the day and heads towards the north.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er rides his horse slowly up to his estate and he sees Xun Yu standing at the gate. He sees one of his servants talking to him.<strong>

**"I'm sorry, but Master Song Xian is not home today."**

**"Really? Where is he?"**

**"On something business related."**

**"I see. How long will it be until he gets back here?"**

**"...About a day."**

**"Grr!" Huang Shi Er makes his horse ride quickly into the stables that were behind the estate. He then lifts a bale of hay to reveal a large metal lid. He pries it open for him to drop down into his secret room. He grabs his scholar robes quickly and removes his Assassin uniform and armor. He quickly dresses into the scholar robes and runs up to press a button that has the shelf slide away and close immediately. He heads out and goes out into the courtyard towards the gate entrance. He tells the servant to leave and he speaks with Xun Yu.**

**"Hello, Master Xun Yu. I didn't know you were coming."**

**"I sent you a letter last night."**

**"Oh yes! Uh... I had very important matters to attend to and I couldn't stay to expect you."**

**"What could be more important than going with me to meet with His Excellency?"**

**"All the matters is that I'm here now."**

**"I suppose so. Let us go then."**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er and Xun Yu walk through into the Imperial palace and two large groups of court officials were on the left and right of the main room. They all were kneeling behind small desks and arguing was heard. The same man in the yellow robes and beads hat was in a golden throne and Cao Cao was sitting at his own desk besides that man. Xun Yu says to Huang Shi Er,"If you haven't figured it out already, that man is the Emperor."<strong>

**"The Emperor...? Why does he look so... helpless?"**

**"Cao Cao still lets him have power, but he is too afraid to use it against him. Now, let's sit."**

**"You seem rather bitter about that subject."**

**"I am loyal to the Han. I want to believe Cao Cao is doing this for the Han, but I can see in his eyes he wants the power for himself."**

**"Then why continue to serve him?"**

**"I have no where else to go. It's him or suffer defeat in one of the other kingdoms." They sit at two empty desks and the court quiets down when Cao Cao stands up to quiet the court. He sits back down.**

**"Right now we have men fending off attacks from Wu for the past two years. Some have succeeded and some have failed. I don't know how long we can keep this up." An official says,"I suggest..." Huang Shi Er makes a face and starts to doze off, not listening to the officials. His attention had been used to fight the urge to sleep.**

**After forty-five minutes of officials debating, Huang Shi Er starts to have his head hang a few inches from his desk and still hears the arguing. He then gives in and lets his head rest on the desk. Luckily, he was sitting towards the back of the assemble officials, so it was harder for anyone to see him sleeping.**

**The palace entrance has officials flooding out and Huang Shi Er was the one still at his desk sleeping. Xun Yu quickly sees him and shakes him. He groggily opens his eyes and he quickly sits up.**

**"Oh no! What happened?"**

**"I can't believe you slept through that! You got lucky that His Excellency didn't catch you!"**

**"I'm sorry... I didn't get much sleep..."**

**"Huff... Anyway, to sum up today's court: Cao Cao wanted to know what to do with the south and wanted to deal with the north as well. The court decided to make sure the south stabilizes until we turn to the north."**

**"What...?"**

**"Are you sure you are the man my associates spoke of? Because I am not seeing anything that says so."**

**"Sorry... My teachers always said I was immature even for my age. I am experienced in war and not politics."**

**"Makes sense. Then when Cao Cao starts to attack the north, you will be an invaluable asset. Hopefully." Huang Shi Er gets up and walks out of the palace. He bumps into an old man and the old man angrily mutters.**

**"Watch it."**

**"Sorry." The old man ignores him and continues to walk into the palace.**

**"What was his problem?" Xun Yu goes up to him.**

**"Excuse him. He is very... antisocial. His name is Jia Xu and he is an adviser to Cao Cao as well."**

**"How do you deal with him all day?"**

**"I don't. He prefers to keep to himself. If you don't bother him, he doesn't bother you."**

**"Huh. Thank you for the information..."**

**"If you need any work, I suppose you can go help Sima Yi out. You obviously need something to get your mind off of sleeping on the job."**

**"Thank you again. I never thought you would put so much effort into me."**

**"Despite your flaws, I still see greatness in you."**

**"How do you know that?"**

**"My judgement is never wrong." Xun Yu turns and walks away from Huang Shi Er.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er walks into the office building and he sees Sima Yi sorting through scrolls and books.<strong>

**"Evening, Master Sima Yi. You want help?"**

**"Then do it." Huang Shi Er picks up a few books and scrolls to look through them.**

**"What exactly am I supposed to do again?"**

**"These books and scrolls here have invaluable content. I suggest handle them with caution."**

**"But what am I supposed to do? It must be very boring to be looking through books all day and sorting them."**

**"Everyone does menial work before their true calling shows itself. That includes me."**

**"Huff... fine..."**

**After an hour, Huang Shi Er sits next to stacks of books and scrolls while yawning.**

**"Where do these go?"**

**"Take them to the library." responded Sima Yi. Huang Shi Er lets out a loud sigh and takes the stacks of books and scrolls out of the building.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er lies on the ground of the office building.<strong>

**"I'm exhausted... How can you go on like this...?" Sima Yi looks at the shelves and puts in books.**

**"On the bright side, you helped me organize this room. It was a mess when I first started here, and now it is in excellent condition. These scrolls have information on battle strategies used long ago and I want them around."**

**"You seem fascinated with war."**

**"I just love the thought of desecrating a grand army with just a mere simple strategy. Hopefully, Cao Cao will let me lead a campaign to help me hone my skills someday."**

**"I guess you have it all planned out then."**

**"You might be set earlier than me. Cao Cao yearns to use you for the northern campaigns he has planned because of how highly positive the officials say of you. With you and Jia Xu, Cao Cao will sweep upon this nation like a sea of fire."**

**"Then why isn't he doing it now?"**

**"Sun Quan is an arrogant pest ever since Chibi. We have to quiet him before doing anything in the north."**

**"Ah. Well..."**

**"Say, have you heard of the "White Devil"?" Huang Shi Er gulps and answers with the most confidence as possible.**

**"Yes. What about him?"**

**"Cao Ren mentioned him after he retreated from Jiangling. He said he took down a section of his army with no effort and even almost took his life."**

**"Wait, he retreated from Jiangling?"**

**"Hm? Yes, he did. Cao Cao told Cao Ren to retreat when Zhou Yu flaunted on how determined he was right after Cao Ren saw Zhou Yu spewed blood. And how would you know about Jiangling? You weren't recruited yet."**

**"I was an adviser to the Yuans. Of course I had to know about anything Cao Cao does and sometimes the Suns."**

**"The Yuans were purged before that."**

**"I worked for a small warlord at the time. Liu Zhang, I remember? Excuse me, since the Yuans and Liu Zhang were so recent, my brain must have mixed them up."**

**"Okay..."**

**"You fear the White Devil?"**

**"No."**

**"Why is that?"**

**"He only kills important figures. I'm not important. Looks like the job is done. I'll go back to my home now." Sima Yi walks out of the office building, leaving Huang Shi Er to look through the shelves in there. He takes some books and reads them.**

**"...Battle formations... Battle conduct..." He closes that book and reaches for another one. When he opened that book, a single worn piece of paper falls out on the ground. He goes down to pick it up and unfold it. The paper had a drawing of a sword.**

**"Huh... Well, it is in a war manual." He puts the paper back into the book and puts the book away.**

**"I've got nothing to do now... Huff... Why does it have to be me that does these time-consuming jobs...?"**


	4. Chapter 4

**Jing Province, 211 A.D  
><strong>

**Huang Shi Er was hanging from a tree trying to get a good look at the inside of a palace. He was in peasant clothing and when he saw Liu Bei walking towards the nearby villages with a man holding a fan, he drops down and runs towards them. He hides in bushes and behind trees as they walked on a trail. He eavesdrop on their conversation.**

**"When is the right time to attack Liu Zhang?"**

**"Zhuge Liang... I can't just attack my own family..."**

**"As a ruler, you have to make difficult decisions and that includes attacking your own kind." They walk into the village and people immediately looked up to greet Liu Bei warmly. Huang Shi Er quickly runs into the peasant crowd and blends in. He sees the man behind Liu Bei simply looking on and hid his face behind his fan. **

**"...Hmm."**

**"I can't tell what is this man planning to do... I'm going to have to rely on Lady Sun for this..." He listens to the peasants talking to Liu Bei.**

**"I heard Lady Sun left you, Lord Liu Bei! How tragic!" Huang Shi Er has his eyes wide and he listens more. Liu Bei responds sadly to the peasant,"She and I didn't... huff... She never loved me, so it's understandable..." **

**"Where is she now?" asked Huang Shi Er.**

**"She is going back to her brother, Sun Quan." **

**"That must be heart-breaking for you..."**

**"She never liked me in the first place. The marriage was arranged, after all. She almost killed me with her guards..."**

**"Heh..." Huang Shi Er walks away slowly and lets peasants cover his track. **

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er rides on a horse and he is nearing a carriage with female guards around it. He was in his assassin robes and had his hood on. He rides close to the carriage and the guards go on the defensive. <strong>

**"Don't you go any closer!"**

**"Are you on orders to retrieve Lady Sun!"**

**"What? No. I want to see her for a minute."**

**"She can't now!" The curtain at the carriage's window moves to reveal Lady Sun looking out.**

**"What are you doing? Did they send you to capture me?"**

**"Why would someone send me?" **

**"Oh. Then why are you here?"**

**"I'm just wondering why did you leave Liu Bei when you were my only source of information when it comes to affairs with Liu Bei."**

**"I didn't have a choice. ****I was to remain in Jing while ****Liu Bei is going to leave Jing Province and head towards Yi. My brother now wants me to go back home now by ship which I am heading to right now." A small coo was heard from inside the carriage. Huang Shi Er looks closely through the window to see a bundle.**

**"Is that a baby?"**

**"He isn't my son, but I can tell he is neglected in his father's care right now. I want to save him. His name is Liu Shan."**

**"Is that why you think Liu Bei sent someone to get you?"**

**"Not him. His generals." Loud clapping of hoofs is heard from behind them. Two armored man leading a small army were catching up to the carriage. One had a young face and had a ponytail while the other had a scruffy beard and his face was terrifying. Lady Sun worryingly looks and turns to Huang Shi Er.**

**"Oh no! They caught onto me!"**

**"Who are those two?"**

**"Zhao Yun is the younger man and Zhang Fei is that older one. Two of the generals Liu Bei greatly trusts."**

**"You want me to kill them?"**

**"No! Just stall them! Don't kill any men! This isn't worth any lives!"**

**"...Well, that's going to be hard since my job is to kill."**

**"Use the blunt end of a polearm!" Lady Sun tells to a female guard to give Huang Shi Er a spear. She tosses it at him and he catches it.**

**"Thanks!" He stops his horse to turn around to face the incoming army. Zhao Yun yells out to Huang Shi Er.**

**"You're in the way! Get out or else I will cut you down!"**

**"Well, I'm certainly not." Huang Shi Er swings the blunt end of his spear at Zhao Yun, knocking off his helmet. Zhang Fei tells him,"You're just gonna let him do that?! I'll take him!" He swings a large double-ended voulge at Huang Shi Er and he dodges just in time. Huang Shi Er in turn whacks him with the spear's blunt end at his head.**

**"Are you messing with me?"**

**"Yes, pretty much." Huang Shi Er continues to use the blunt end on attacking the soldiers and the two generals in front of him. He playfully whacks everyone while taunting them.**

**"Can't keep up with me? Haha!" He whacks Zhang Fei again and Zhang Fei boils in anger. He yells out in irritation and swings his weapon angrily at Huang Shi Er. **

**"Whoa!" He dodges the first few blows before using his spear to block. When he holds up the spear, a single hit breaks it into two. **

**"Damn!" He tries to use the two halves to block more blows, but they always give into the strong slashes. Zhang Fei laughs at him.**

**"HA! Not so tough now!" He raises his voulge in hopes to bring it down onto Huang Shi Er but he jumps off his horse and grabs a tree branch to let Zhang Fei and the army run ahead of him. Zhang Fei cuts down his horse in half. It loudly whinnies in ****agony as its halves fall apart onto the ground****. Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei are riding towards the carriage Lady Sun was in. Huang Shi Er hangs from the branch while making a saddened expression.**

**"Sorry, looks like I failed again... Huff... And **rúhé dìyù wǒ gāi zěnme huí jiā?!**" (how the hell am I supposed to get home?!) **

**He drops down from the tree branch and he heads towards the closest sign of civilization. **

* * *

><p><span><strong>Jianye<strong>

**Huang Shi Er walks though the city and goes into a tavern. He sits at a table and Lu Su sits at the same table as him. **

**"Huh, how did you know I would be here?"**

**"Every man will have a thought once in a while to drown their sorrows. This is the place to do that. I heard you tried to prevent Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei from getting to Lady Sun."**

**"And I failed."**

**"At least you tried to help her."**

**"Trying is not enough. It's either failure or success."**

**"That may be, but trying is the start of either failure or success."**

**"How is she anyway?"**

**"Lady Sun was let go but at the cost of her releasing Liu Shan into Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei's care."**

**"There goes my woman on the inside. Now what...?"**

**"Why can't you just infiltrate them just like you did with Wei?"**

**"I can't. There's only one of me and there are two of them... And it takes a while going to each area even on horseback."**

**"Hmm... There is a sewer system underground that connects from all over the country. You can use that."**

**"Ugh..."**

**"They are very roomy so that someone is able to fit through one even when standing. It only stinks during the rainy season."**

**"Oh god...**

**"****Since these sewers are under every city, you can easily transport y****ourself anywhere throughout the country."**

**"...What about me stinking...?"**

**"These are old sewers, by the way. Unused ever since the Warring States era."**

**"Oh thank you... I thought..."**

**"I wouldn't have told you to go under the sewers that are being used. Just don't go during the rainy season and you should be fine."**

**"Well, thank you for the information. Is there anything else?"**

**"You should tail Liu Bei when he heads to Yi Province." **

**"Yes. Got that. Anything else?"**

**"No."**

**"Well then. I'm going to go now." Huang Shi Er takes one last gulp of his bottle and leaves the tavern. Lu Su runs after him.**

**"Wait! I forgot to give you something. Here is a map of the old sewers of the country."**

**"Why thank you. I thought I would have walk around in circles under there." He puts it in his robes and walks off into the street.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Xuchang<span>**

**Bangs are heard from underground by passing people and they ignore it. Near the outside of the Imperial palace, a blade cuts out of the dirt and it wiggles around to make a small hole. The blade continues to stab out of the dirt for it to eventually crumble up and fall into the hole made. A larger hole was made and two hands come up to split it wider. Huang Shi Er's head was able to fit into the hole and he climbs out, tearing away at any more dirt. Dirt was in his hair and dirtied his robes. **

**"**Pìhuà. **(Shit.) Now I have to cover this up..." He breaks up more of the dirt to have a generously large hole in the ground. He then uses his sword to cut up a few bushes from its roots nearby to take to the hole and cover it.**

**"I need to fix that up later." He runs through the trees and climbs over the wall surrounding the palace. He jumps onto the roofs of the buildings ahead and runs towards the residential area of Luoyang. He heads to his own estate and goes into his main building. He removes his robes and changes quickly to his official clothing. He puts on his hat and walks out of his home. **

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er sits at a desk along with many others at the Imperial palace as Cao Cao was talking with the Emperor next to him looking on with tired eyes. <strong>

**"The south has quieted down, now we can focus our attention to the north. It just so happens that Ma Chao and Han Sui have formed a coalition against us. I will personally lead a campaign against them, leaving my son, Cao Pi to defend my base. Everyone, we will march to Tong Pass at dawn. The court is dismissed." Officials stand up to leave the palace. Cao Cao goes up to Huang Shi Er.**

**"You, I want you to come with me when we go to intercept Ma Chao and Han Sui's forces. Along with Jia Xu, we can drive those barbarians out of the north."**

**"Yes, sir. I am honored for such a task." He bows with his arms in his sleeves.**

**"Good." Cao Cao leaves him behind when he walks out of the palace. Huang Shi Er stands upright and turns to see the Emperor sitting on the throne still. He looks up quickly and says in a shaky voice.**

**"You... I can see in your eyes you're not who you say you are..."**

**"What are you talking about, Your Highness?"**

**"...It's been a while since I've been ever called that... But... we can't speak here. Come with me." The Emperor gets up to walk towards one of the side buildings with Huang Shi Er following him. The Emperor stops at the building and turns to Huang Shi Er.**

**"You're with the Order...?"**

**"What are you-"**

**"Don't play stupid now. I can see it in your eyes. You're an Assassin."**

**"...I guess I can't hide it now..."**

**"I need you to help me! Kill Cao Cao now!"**

**"I can't. I'll be a suspect."**

**"Isn't an assassin supposed to not have tracks when they kill someone? What is holding you back? Kill Cao Cao and everything will fall apart!"**

**"It doesn't work that way. Even if I simply stabbed him, his followers will be looking for me far and wide, putting my people in danger! They will purge the Order here once they find them! I have to work my way sround before killing him."**

**"I spoke too much! Forget we ever spoke!" The Emperor quickly walks away from Huang Shi Er and goes into the inner hall of the palace.**

**"I sometimes question myself on why I don't just kill Cao Cao right away. Huff... I have to prepare for tomorrow..."**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er walks down by the barracks and sees soldiers cutting at straw-filled dummies, thrusting their spears at command from a general, and generals sitting cleaning weapons.<strong>

**"I'm itching to hit and slash something." He walks up to a general and talks to him.**

**"Hey, can I have a round with the dummy?"**

**"Hehehehe! Scrawny official wants to train? Be my guest. I bet you'll be out of breath after a minute."**

**"Haha, go ahead and laugh." Huang Shi Er throws off his hat and rolls up his sleeves. He snatches a spear away from a soldier and walks up to a dummy. The general from before stops him.**

**"Whoa, whoa. I think you'll be more comfortable with Master Xu Chu." **

**"Wait, what?" **

**"He's always eager to help out on people on their stance. Soooo, get over there." He pushes Huang Shi Er towards a tall rotund man holding a large club.**

**"So, this official wants to fight? Well, I'll give him one!"**

**"So, is there a-Whoa!" He dodges a swing of the club. "Hey! I'm not-" He quickly dodges another swing.**

**"Fast reflexes! Well, can you dodge this?" Xu Chu swings his club with strength and speed and Huang Shi Er quickly dodges them. He thrusts his spear towards Xu Chu, stabbing his shoulder piece. When he retracts his spear, the shoulder piece came off and was stuck on the blade. Xu Chu angrily takes Hunag Shi Er's spear and takes the shoulder piece.**

**"Not bad. Not bad. How would you fare against Cao Ren? Xu Huang? Or maybe Zhang He?"**

**"...Eh, why not? I have time."**

**"Such boldness. I respect that." A general walks up to Xu Chu.**

**"You want me to...?"**

**"Yes. Call up all of the generals. You like a challenge, pretty boy? Well, you got one!"**

**"I didn't say that..." **

**"Well met! If you defeat all of our generals, we will all buy a round of drinks for all of our men for this night! But, if you fail to defeat even one, you will be paying out of your pocket for tonight's drinks."**

**"Huff... You've got a deal!"**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er stands at one end of a circle made by soldiers holding a spear. On the other side, Cao Ren, Yue Jin, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Zhang He were standing. <strong>

**"Oh man, I'm starting to regret this... Hey! Can I go take a piss?"**

**"Oh, getting cold feet now?" said Xu Chu from the sideline.**

**"I'm serious! I had a large meal before this and it's coming back to haunt me!"**

**"...Ugh... Fine. Go. We don't want you peeing on us as a tactic."**

**"What...? Okay." Huang Shi Er slides past the soldiers and goes out of the barracks. He bumps into Xun Yu.**

**"Oh! Hello. Why are you here?"**

**"You are challenging the top generals to brawl, no? This I have to see. Lord Cao Cao himself is coming to watch."**

**"...Really? I attracted too much attention..."**

**"Oh, don't be so humble. Why are you out though?"**

**"I have to go to the chamberpot room."**

**"I can tell you don't."**

**"...Nrrgh... Fine. I'll go back."**

**"Good luck to you."**

**"Hehehe... I'm going to die..." He moves into the circle of soldiers and takes back his spear. **

**"I've had training... I should be able to take these men..." Huang Shi Er looks attentively at Cao Ren.**

**"That man was at Jiangling... I almost got him then... Unfortunately, I can't kill anyone here." **

**"Who will take him on first?" yelled out Xu Chu.**

**"I will!" Yue Jin runs fast to Huang Shi Er and puts up a defensive stance.**

**"So, you're fast? You can't beat me though. Try to hit me." He runs when Huang Shi Er swings his spear at him. Yue Jin dashes up to his back to raise his blades over him. Huang Shi Er sees him and turns quickly just in time to block off the blows.**

**"Not bad!" He runs around him and when Huang Shi Er tries to hit him again, Yue Jin attacks his behind. Huang Shi Er rolls away from the blows. **

**"...I've got to think like him..." Huang Shi Er runs around Yue Jin and Yue Jin runs after him. He jumps to slash with his swords, but Huang Shi Er swings his spear to hit away one of the swords.**

**"Hmph!" Yue Jin jumps backwards and stands still. He takes his sword to make a defensive stance.**

**"How about some close-combat?" Huang Shi Er thrusts his spear at Yue Jin and he hits it away with incredible speed. **

**"Predictable!" He moves back and forth, to then make a thrust at Huang Shi Er. He dodges and takes his arm.**

**"Huh?" Huang Shi Er twists his arm and lets the sword fall out of his hands.**

**"Gah!"**

**"Heh!" Yue Jin jumps backwards and holds his arm. **

**"Well, I'm out. I give this victory to you." Yue Jin goes to the outside of the circle and Zhang Liao walks in.**

**"Let's see if you can take me!"**

**"Oh god..."**

* * *

><p><strong>After a while, most of the generals mentioned were panting and tired to continue. Cao Ren walks up to Huang Shi Er as the last man.<strong>

**"How about we have a twist here?"**

**"Huh?" The defeated generals all go back into the circle with their weapons. **

**"If you're so tough, why don't you try all of us at once?"**

**"...Heh... Bring it! I'll need a better weapon though." **

**"Fine. Give him another spear!" A spear gets thrown into the circle and Huang Shi Er grabs it. He puts himself in a stance and all of the Wei generals charge towards him. Swing after swing, Huang Shi Er counters them with him whacking the blunt end of the spear at their heads. **

**"Are you afraid to use the sharp end or something?" taunted Zhang Liao.**

**"No, I'm just mocking you with the fact since I can hit you with that end so many times, I can hit you with the sharp end."**

**"Ha! I can't tell if that's confidence or arrogance!" The generals then back away from Huang Shi Er to stand still. They surrounded him and the first one to attack was Xu Huang. He swings his giant ax at Huang Shi Er, and he dodges. Right when he dodged, Yue Jin came behind to slash at him. Huang Shi Er thrusts his spear at one of the blades directly, knocking it out of Yue Jin's hand. He uses his other spear to block the other sword. Behind him, Cao Ren threw his flail towards him and Huang Shi Er pushes Yue Jin away for him to dodge the flail. After he dodged the flail, Zhang He and Zhang Liao were coming at both sides of him to slash with both their weapons. Huang Shi Er counters Zhang Liao to hit him in the neck and throws him away and counters Zhang He to hit him in the abdomen to throw him away as well. Xu Huang comes to him again to swing his ax at him with Huang Shi Er jumping away from every swing. From behind, Cao Ren grabs Huang Shi Er in a chokehold, but he gets out of it by steping on his foot and elbowing his neck. Cao Ren staggers back for Huang SHi Er to deliver a punch that knocks him down. When he turns around, Yue Jin was charging towards him again and Huang Shi Er uses one of his spears to block off every attack to then use the blunt end to hit Yue Jin directly in the abdomen. Yue Jin yells out and fall on the ground. Xu Huang swings his ax at Huang Shi Er again and he dodges. The ax nicks his shoulder and he slides under the ax to deliver an upward kick onto Xu Huang's chin. **

**"Grrah!" He falls down and Huang Shi Er gets up to brush himself off. **

**"Well, I guess that earned me some pointers. Huff..." The soldiers cheered and the Wei generals go up to congratulate Huang Shi Er. **

**"You win. We all give this victory to you." Xu CHu walks up to Huang Shi Er.**

**"Looks like we're buying. Where did you pick those skills? Were you in the army before or had special training?"**

**"I had special training when I was young."**

**"I guess you're the only official here that can protect himself when hell breaks loose." **

**"Thanks." He walks out of the barracks, but he gets called out. **

**"Master Song Xian!" Huang Shi Er turns to see Cao Cao with Xun Yu and other men accompanying him. **

**"Haha! I never knew you were so agile! I'd hate for you to sit behind a desk all day to let those fine skills go to waste."**

**"Ahhh... I prefer to do the adviser work than go on the front lines. Those abilities are simply for self-defense just in case if everything to hell."**

**"That is smart. I will respect your choice." He walks past Huang Shi Er and a few guards walk behind him. Xun Yu goes up to Huang Shi Er.**

**"You impressed His Excellency himself. That is hard to do when you are a new recruit. I even saw Master Jia Xu being in awe of your fighting ability." **

**"Yes, thank you. Man, I'm stealing those men's thunder here..."**

**"Ah, they're happy they got a decent challenge." Loud clapping was heard and Huang Shi Er turns to see Sima Yi walking towards him.**

**"Hahahahaha! That was quite a show you put on in there! You gave all of those generals a taste of their own medicine! Hahaha!" **

**"You seem rather happy today, Master Sima Yi."**

**"I finally see something interesting happen these past three years of Cao Cao being in hiatus. Other than my second son being born that is."**

**"Wait, you have another son? You work fast." **

**"Heh, I can still see your naivety. But I suppose you can still hold on to that for tonight since you made the top generals of Wei to pay for drinks."**

**"Are you attending?"**

**"Maybe."**

**"How about you, Master Xun Yu?"**

**"Lord Cao Cao would try to make me drink. I want to socialize with the people without drinking though."**

**"They would be too drunk to talk to you though."**

**"I suppose so." **

* * *

><p><strong>Talking and laughter filled the air as cups clinked and soldiers drank to their heart's content outside. Huang Shi Er drinks many bottles himself and he gets many words of praise from everyone. Xu Chu and Cao Ren sat next to him and they make conversation.<strong>

**"You know, you gave us soldiers a challenge we will never forget. And a nice show for these small fry before they die tomorrow."**

**"I never thought an official like you would have such skills. You should join the army and not stay with the scrawny scholars."**

**"Ah... No thanks. I like this life better. It's calming and death isn't in my face every minute. Those moves you saw are when I get cornered and there is no other way out."**

**"I see. Well, the army will always be willing to take you if you're interested."**

**"That's nice of you, thank you." Huang Shi Er gets up to walk around the area and sees the soldiers being happy. He sees a woman standing alone in full armor looking off while holding a bottle. He goes up to her.**

**"Hello. Um... Are you in this army?" The woman turns to him.**

**"Yes. I am to go with you all to meet Ma Chao in battle."**

**"Well, it's not going to be easy considering how-"**

**"I know how ruthless he is. Exactly how..."**

**"Um... When did you join? And uh..."**

**"I came to Wei after Ma Chao killed my entire family and had his men rape the women of my village. All I had was my daughter and I had to cover us up in feces in order to get those barbarians off of me."**

**"...Huff... I uh... I...Whoa!" He gets pulled away by someone and he is forced to sit at a table. Jia Xu, Cao Cao, and Xun Yu were sitting at that table and Huang Shi Er looks up to see Sima Yi.**

**"Hey, why did you...?"**

**"That woman is best not bothered."**

**"I was going to leave her alone after she said her family was killed by Ma Chao. Who is she?"**

**"Her name is Wang Yi. Her husband is Zhao Ang. She came here with her husband to join our cause in taking down Ma Chao. She has a hatred of Ma Chao and this will be useful to us in this battle. Considering how Ma Chao killed her son and a lot of people, I think it's understandable."**

**"Well... huff... So, how's life with you?"**

**"Fine, fine."**

**"You have two sons now. That's got to be exciting."**

**"I suppose so."**

**"What'd you name him?"  
><strong>

**"I named my second son Zhao."**

**"That has a nice ring to it, to be honest."**

**"I'm glad you like it. ****Just by looking at those two, I can tell they are destined to be great."**

**"You're a good father, of course they'll grow up to be fine men."**

**"That is nice of you to say. What about you?" **

**"I'm not married."**

**"You're twenty-five now, no?"**

**"Yes."**

**"That's not good. You can't find a lady that is of worth to you?"**

**"I'm very busy, so I can't exactly... heh... Anyway, I'll go drink up! You should too!" Cao Cao gets up to be happily saying to him with rosy cheeks,"Heeeey! Huang Shi Er...! It's a fine night out here, isn't it? I can just wish to touch the moon especially at this time! Haha!" Xun Yu stand sup to catch Cao Cao as he falls.**

**"Looks like Lord Cao Cao drank too much. He is very easy-going when he's like this. I'll go escort him to his chambers." Xun Yu walks the drunk Cao Cao away from the area and Huang Shi Er continues to chug down bottles of wine. He sits down next to Jia Xu who was taking small sips out of his bottle. He turns to say to Huang Shi Er,"You're no ordinary man, aren't you?"**

**"What makes you say that?"**

**"You were an Assassin at one point, no?" Huang Shi Er stops drinking and whispers to him.**

**"How...?"**

**"Those skills you displayed earlier are of an Assassin, no doubt. I guess you know I was once of the Order."**

**"Yes."**

**"I had to do what I had to do. Cao Cao was more willing to use my genius than the Assassins. I guess you thought that too, and that's why you're here?"**

**"...Yes."**

**"You made a good choice. I'm an old man now and can no longer move like I did when I was young. All I can use is my wisdom. But you will go far if you continue to serve them, not as an Assassin or a Templar, but in general."**

**"You're not going to tell them, right?"**

**"No, I'd hate Cao Cao to kill off a good man. Assassin or not, I respect you."**

**"Thanks. I never thought you would give me such praise."**

**"Heheh... Now let me drink in peace."**

**"Yes." Huang Shi Er walks away from him to leave him alone.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er was in his secret room when his skull echoes out a voice. He goes to it to hear his mentor.<strong>

**"Huang Shi Er, who did you kill today?"**

**"Ah! Um... I didn't kill anyone yet."**

**"Why?"**

**"It's hard to kill someone in broad daylight here. The authorities are on to you the moment you run. I have to bide my time."**

**"Huff... Sure." The skull goes silent.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Almost to Tong Pass 211 A.D.  
><strong>

**Huang Shi Er rides his horse into a camp and sees men preparing their weapons. Cao Cao goes up to greet him with Jia Xu at his side.**

**"You're here. Why don't you go into the tent with us and we'll give you the plan for this battle?"**

**"Yes, sir." He gets off his horse and a soldier takes it to a nearby stable.**

**At the tent, Jia Xu pushes little blocks around on a map.**

**"Lord Cao Cao has sent Xu Huang and Zhu Ling to set up a camp on the west bank of the via Puban Ford Wei river last night. We shall cross the river and go to the north bank of the river. Knowing Ma Caho, he will try to ambush us, so we have to move quickly." Cao Cao looks at the map and nods in approval.**

**"Very well, we shall go this instance." Jia Xu quickly says,"There are these barbaric soldiers that are in the coalition and are not to be taken lightly. They are the Guanxi and they specialize in long spears. Only an elite vanguard force can stop them." Cao Cao laaughs.**

**"I'm in charge of this war, not the rebels. They may be skilled in using long spears, but I'll make them unable to use their spears. Gentlemen, just watch. Now, we go."**

* * *

><p><strong>The army was moving with Cao Cao at the front leading towards Tong Pass. They go through the pass and to a river. Men began to prepare to cross the river by building a ferry until a loud cry was heard. The mountains above had men from all sides to appear. A man on a horse was at the top. He had a helmet shaped like a dragon and his armor was decorative and shiny. <strong>

**"Cao Cao! I am Ma Chao! Face me! ****Prepare to die by my hand!" The men began to flinch and scurry around Cao Cao to tell him to get away. Cao Cao stays seated on his horse.**

**"Your Excellency! You should escape!"**

**"Leave us and escape from Ma Chao!" Cao Cao still remains seated. Huang Shi Er yells at him.**

**"What are you doing?! You'll die!"**

**"Heaven won't let that happen. If you're so scared, why don't you try swimming away in the cold river?"**

**"Grr!" He turns away to see Ma Chao's soldiers cutting down the Wei soldiers. He snatches a spear from a corpse to cut away enemy away from Cao Cao. He sees a man with purple lining his armor. He had a very long ponytail and was using claws to cut away soldiers. He rides up to him.**

**"Zhang He is your name, no?"**

**"Yes."**

**"We need to get Cao Cao safely onto the river! The army already prepared a ferry before, so let's get him onto that!"**

**"I shall do that! Can you hold off these soldiers until I can get Lord Cao Cao onto there?"**

**"Yes! Go!" Zhang He runs over to Cao Cao to make him go to the ferry prepared before. Huang Shi Er cuts away more soldiers. He sees Ma Caho ride away and he chases after him, but more soldiers blocked him. They killed his horse and he falls down onto the ground. He gets up to stab an attacking soldier in the chest. He takes down more soldiers and turns to see the ferry has gone. He runs up into the mountains to see many archers shooting arrows upon the ferry. **

**"How can I stop all of them?" He looks over to see a group of horses and cattle and sees a general nearby. He runs over to him and yells at him.**

**"Hey, bring those here."**

**"Why?"**

**"We'll distract them to avoid them from shooting arrows at Cao Cao!" They run to lead the animals for the archers to be in range of them. **

**"Release them!" They release the cattle and horse onto the soldiers nearby and they get distracted with them. They stopped shooting at the ferry and started to try to grab as much livestock as they can. The ferry continues to sail down the river fast along the strong currents.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er along with a couple of soldiers and officers walked along the river and the officers were looking around frantically.<strong>

**"Where is he?"**

**"I hope nothing has happened to him..."**

**"Come on, he's not going to die easily." They continue to walk along the river to see the ferry. The officers run up to it and they saw Cao Cao with a few generals and Zhang He. They all shed tears of joy.**

**"We thought you were gone!"**

**"I was almost trapped by that little scoundrel. But thanks to that distraction, I got away safely. Who was that?" Huang Shi Er simply nudged the general that helped him with the animals to Cao Cao.**

**"This man did it. I simply just helped him."**

**"Then both of you are worthy of me owing you my life. Now, we will go down south." **

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er stands inside of a tent looking at the map with the tiny blocks scattered around its surface.<strong>

**"I hope this will work..." Cao Cao walks in and see him.**

**"I see you're creating a plan. Well, why don't you give me the rundown?"**

**"I think you should set up camps on the south bank of the river. And construct some pontoon bridges while at the same time send some decoys to distract Ma Chao's men away from the construction sites."**

**"Funny, I thought of this too. I guess great minds think alike."**

**"Also, a messenger came by with this." Huang Shi Er gives Cao Cao a folded paper and Cao Cao unfolds it to read it.**

**"Ma Chao wants me to give up my territories in exchange of peace?"**

**"I know your answer to that."**

**"Yes, indeed." Cao Cao rips up that paper into tiny bits and tosses them aside. **

**"We will do as your plan says."**

* * *

><p><span><strong>2 months later<strong>

**Huang Shi Er rubs his temples when he was sitting down inside of a tent. Jia Xu goes up to him.**

**"Not as easy as you thought it would, no?"**

**"I never thought this job would be so... painful..."**

**"You will get used to it. If you can't take it, you can still take up his offer for fighting in his army."**

**"Every time we send a force to cross the river, Ma Chao keeps attacking them. And our camps are not stable since the terrain is too sandy. It's freezing and we'll all die of hypothermia before Ma Chao can get to us."**

**"Well, can you come up with anything? Since you're from Liang, I think you will figure out something." Cao Cao walks into the tent with a man.**

**"This hermit has came to us and has heard of our ordeal."**

**"Oh? What does he suggest?" The man clears his throat and introduces himself.**

**"I am Lou Gui. I have came here just to give you men a little help. You see, your camp is not protected enough. I have a proposal. Build walls of ice around your camp."**

**"Ice? How?"**

**"You build your walls and pour water over the walls and let the cold freeze ice onto the stone."**

**"Will that work?"**

**"It will insulate your men. Better yet, a castle. If you start now, it will be ready in just a day."**

**"This all seems very..." **

**Cao Cao suddenly says to everyone,"This might work. I will have men build the fortress right now."**

**"Wait, sire! You think that will work?"**

**"It is bone-chilling cold, enough to even freeze some of the water in the river. I believe this will work. If it doesn't, then we will have to come up with something else."**

* * *

><p><strong>The castle outside the camp had been finished and men began to pour water from the river on the walls. After a while, the cold froze the water into ice. Huang Shi Er walks outside to look at them. <strong>**He hears hoofbeats and turns to see an army charging towards them. Ma Chao was at the front with a spear ready. Huang Shi Er quickly runs back into the camp and goes up to Cao Cao.**

**"Ma Chao is here. Have your men keep him busy with ambushes as you take some men to cross the river with you."**

**"What about you?"**

**"I can defend myself. I know my way around a weapon."**

**"If you say so, then I leave the men to you here."**

**"What about Jia Xu? He surely can use them better than me."**

**"He comes with me. This is your chance to show what you can really do. And that Wang Yi woman can help you." **

**"Yes, sir..." Cao Cao turns to lift himself onto a horse and rides off. A small group of forces followed him. Wang Yi goes up to him.**

**"What are your orders?" A soldier runs up to him and yells out,"Ma Chao is almost here!"**

**"Set up ambushes and strike when he tries to attack the walls." Wang Yi bows and runs off with the soldier and Huang Shi Er grabs a halberd from a rack. **

**"Okay... Looks like I have to hold down the fort here." He runs outside to stand in the middle of the field and the enemy runs towards him. Soldiers came out to meet with him and a few men began to hide around the area. Ma Chao gets closer and stops in front of the army.**

**"That's it? Where is Cao Cao?"**

**"Not telling you."**

**"You think you're so tough? How about a duel?"**

**"Ahahaha, no thanks."**

**"Scared?"**

**"No, because I think someone else wants that duel more than I do." He runs back into the castle and Ma Chao chases after him.**

**"Get back here, coward!"**

**"Oh, I'm not retreating!" The Wei army fights off Ma Chao's army and Huang Shi Er stands in the castle with Ma Chao riding on his horse after him along with some of his army. When he entered, archers appeared from the top of the walls and shot at him. Ma Chao rides out of the castle and more of the Wei army was in his path. They attack him and he rides in another direction to get blocked off again by another part of the Wei army. This was led by Wang Yi and she yells to Ma Chao,"At last, we meet! I've long to kill you and avenge my family!"**

**"As you wish! I accept your challenge!" Ma Chao charges into them and Wang Yi in turn charges towards him. They clash with every strike and the Wei soldiers try to land blows onto him. He brushes them off him and continues to fight Wang Yi. Huang Shi Er uses the halberd to cut down Ma Chao's soldiers. **

**After hours of fighting, Ma Chao rides away with what was left of his army. Wang Yi tries to chase after him, but it was too late. She goes back into the camp and Huang Shi Er goes up to her.**

**"You did great. I don't think I would have lasted longer than that without you keeping Ma Chao busy. Along with the walls hiding extra soldiers, of course."**

**"But I let him escape... Where can I get another chance like this again?"**

**"...Maybe there's an option..."**

**"What?"**

**"There is a very secret organization that I know some people that are in... I think you have ****the potential to be in it."**

**"What do they do?"**

**"They are assassins. And if you join, you will be trained in the art of killing. As long you abide by their creed. And that means you can get rid of Ma Chao without leaving a trace."**

**"Tell me more. And how do you know of this?"**

**"I can't tell you that. Now make sure no one hears of this and I will give you the instructions to go over there."**

**"Yes." **

* * *

><p><span><strong>Northern Wei Camp near the river<strong>

**Huang Shi Er was sitting in a tent looking at a map when Wang Yi goes into the tent to talk to him.**

**"I need to speak with you. ****About this organization you're with... I want to join them. I will not tell anyone about your true identity in return for showing me the way." Huang Shi Er looks up and responds, ****"I'm glad you made up your mind. But I can't just leave."**

**"Cao Cao has left to meet with Han Sui under the disguise of him agreeing to their conditions. You can use this as your advantage."**

**"Well... Fine. I need an alibi though."**

**"I told any superior that you will be in bed with a cold. I made sure no one is to visit your tent because you are contagious."  
><strong>

**"I guess that'll work... Huff... Let me set up a route for us." Huang Shi Er takes out the map of sewers Lu Su gave him and he looks at it. **

**"The nearest sewer is near the river. Come with me and make sure we're not followed."**

* * *

><p><span><strong>5 hours later<strong>

**Huang Shi Er along with Wang Yi walk along the underground sewers and they stop to see an old ladder. **

**"Okay, this should bring us to the Assassin hideout." He climbs up the ladder and hits the circle lid stuck in between the ground and the sewer. **

**"This thing is stuck. Can you lend me your sword?" **

**"Let me try." **

**"...Okay." He climbs down to let Wang Yi try to loosen the lid. **

**After a few minutes, the lid pops out of the ground and it gets slid away to have Wang Yi and Huang Shi Er climb out onto soil. They face a large abandoned city.**

**"This is where your order lives?"**

**"This is just the facade. Come." They walk into the empty city. The walls were cracked with vines covering them and large trees had burst through the old pavement. **

**"Oh, I see. You use this old city to make sure no nosy person comes around and stumbles onto your operations."**

**"Something like that. Let's just say anyone who goes through here spreads a rumor back home about how haunted this place is."**

**"Won't that create curious treasure hunters?"**

**"What treasure? There's nothing here but old broken pottery. Just ghosts." They approach a house that had trace of how it was built for a noble. When they entered, Huang Shi Er knocks on the ground and the floor opens up to have a flight of descending stairs slide out before them.**

**"After you. Just keep going until you find a large doorway. Tell them I sent you."**

**"What is your name? Your real name."**

**"Huang Shi Er. Welcome to the brotherhood. I can't greet you properly since I'm undercover as a Wei scholar slash strategist."**

**"Thanks."**

**"I'll be sure to create your alibi once I get back over there." **

* * *

><p><strong><span>Northern Wei Camp<span>**

**Huang Shi Er crawls out of a hole and covers it with a lid. He runs fast through the plain and sees the river. The camp near it was still there and he ran as fast as he can to sneak into his tent. He gets into his bed to see a bundle of pillows. Huang shi Er quickly sets them away and gets into the bed. Voices are heard outside.**

**"Master Song Xian has gotten a cold. I suggest don't go in there or you'll catch it."**

**"But isn't he from Liang? Shouldn't he be used to the cold in a way?"**

**"He has been living in Luoyang for a while, I think his body forgot how to adapt to harsh cold then." Huang Shi Er coughs loudly to make the soldiers outside back away from his tent.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>A week and a half later<span>**

**Huang Shi Er listens to soldiers talk happily about Cao Cao as they stood around the camp.**

**"I can't believe Han Sui fell for Cao Cao and Jia Xu's plan!"**

**"Now he and Ma Chao retreated into Liang with their tails behind their legs!"**

**"A shame Master Song Xian was really ill the entire week. But at least he's better now." A soldier says,****"I don't like him."**

**"Why?"**

**"He's too unusual for a scholar. Scholars can't fight last time I checked."**

**"But if they got special training-"**

**"Exactly. He's probably a spy."**

**"Lord Cao Cao will have your head if he heard you say such things about his men like that." Huang Shi Er casually walks up to the group.**

**"Evening, gentlemen." The men jumped and they spoke nervously.**

**"Oh, hello, Master Song Xian! We weren't doing anything!"**

**"Just simple chatter then?"**

**"Yes! How are you feeling?" **

**"Quite fine. I'll leave you men to do whatever you need to do." **

**"Master Song Xian. You're up from your slumber." Huang Shi Er quickly turns to see Jia Xu. **

**"I suppose you want to know about what happened when you were ill."**

**"I got the gist. You wished to sow discord within the coalition's ranks and that you did."**

**"Anyway, Lord Cao Cao has left to lead an army to attack one of the coalition members that escaped us. Yang Qiu, I remember. The rest of them are dead and Ma Chao and Han Sui have retreated back into Liang."**

**"Oh, are we going to Lord Cao Cao?"**

**"Hehehe... I think he doesn't need us for that. After all, Yang Qiu is just a small bug for Cao Cao to crush. We can go back home and he will come back with good news."**

**"Really? I felt like I didn't do much..."**

**"You managed to hold off Ma Chao back at the castle. I think that is impressive considering how barbaric Ma Chao is."**

**"I suppose so."**

**"Where is Lady Wang Yi? I haven't seen her since back when you had to defend from Ma Chao."**

**"She had to go with her husband back to their home."**

**"Oh. Well then, we can continue this conversation on horseback back to Luoyang."**

**"Sure."**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Xuchang<span>**

**Huang Shi Er and Jia Xu were talking as they entered the city gates on their horses.**

**"You're an interesting person, Master Song Xian. It's been a while since I was able to be this easy-going. I normally stay away from people all together. The only people that know me well are Cao Cao and Xun Yu."**

**"Why Xun Yu?"**

**"Hehehe, he knows everything about any person here."**

**"Everything?"**

**"Well, anyone besides you. He has been doing research on you for a while."**

**"For what?"**

**"He is the one that makes sure you are what you are and no secrets are to be kept when you work here."**

**"...What do you mean by that?"**

**"Well, Cao Cao is trusting of everyone, but also he is aware on whoever is disloyal."**

**"...And Xun Yu is the one who helps him make sure who this disloyal person is?"**

**"Sort of. But he has faith in you, so you shouldn't worry too much about him looking into you too much."**

**"Okay... How about we move onto a different subject? What can you tell me about Master Sima Yi?"**

**"He's a interesting one too. His family is one of the most wealthiest in the country, his older brother passed the civil exams when he was only twelve, and he himself is a genius. From what I heard of the other people say of the Simas, anyway. You want to know a funny rumor I hear from time to time?"**

**"Sure."**

**"They say Sima Yi's wife killed their maid when she was only thirteen because that maid saw Sima Yi being well when he was faking illness. I knew he faked illness, but never told Lord Cao Cao because well... He would be in a lot of trouble."**

**"I thought it was because he cheated on her with the maid."**

**"Phhthahahah! No! Why would he? He's not the type to mingle with some commoner! Hahaha! That's a good joke."**

**"Oh... okay..."**

**"Anyway, that's just the people making up stuff. A thirteen year old girl can't take down a grown adult."**

**"Heheheheh... right..." They get off their horses and they are led away by a stableboy. **

**"I'm tired. I will go back to my home and rest. What are you going do?"**

**"Maybe go help Sima Yi out with something."**

**"He should be at the lake near here. He always goes in there when it's his free time."**

**"Thanks. I'll see you."**

**"Mmh." Jia Xu turns to walk away from Huang Shi Er.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>At a simple quaint lake, Sima Yi was sitting at a deck with a fishing pole. Huang Shi Er walks onto the deck and goes up next to Sima Yi.<strong>

**"Hello."**

**"What do you need?"**

**"Nothing. I'm just wondering about future work."**

**"I heard from Jia Xu about Tong Pass. You put up a fight against Ma Chao's army."**

**"It was nothing."**

**"For a scholar, you sure seem like to use brute strength."**

**"I never got to make a plan. I fell ill at the exposure of the cold air."**

**"You're from Liang. You should be used to that cold."**

**"I've been getting that a lot. Look, I was living down in the south when I was working for other warlords. My body stopped learning how to adapt to the cold."**

**"Hmph."**

**"Mind if I sit?"**

**"You'll scare the fish away."**

**"This lake isn't known to have fish..."**

**"You been in this lake?"**

**"No..."**

**"Then you can not tell me there's nothing in here. Go ahead. Take a seat." Huang Shi Er sits on the deck next to Sima Yi.**

**"So, I heard your wife killed a maid when she was young. ****Is it true?"**

**"That is none of your business. Though I applaud you for being so s****traightforward.****"**

**"Oh? When people say that, they have something to hide."**

**"**Zhēn. **(True.) But how can you prove that?"**

**"What is your relationship with your spouse?"**

**"Why do you want to know that?"**

**"You're very dodging of personal questions, I noticed that. I know you have something to hide."**

**"I don't like it when someone's sticking their nose where it doesn't belong."**

**"Really? Why? Does your family harbor a dark secret?"**

**"Hehehehe... Such audacity. You're lucky I have no power over you or I'd send you to the chopping block."**

**"Do you want to talk or do I have to punch you into the lake?"**

**"You wouldn't dare. ****Why do you want this information so much?"**

**"I am very curious."**

**"Curiosity gets you killed. Besides, my wife would kill me if I had something to do with a rumor about her."**

**"I won't tell anyone."**

**"How do I know that?"**

**"Come on, would I do something to ruin your reputation? I slept drunk in one of your beds. I think it's a given."**

**"Huff... Fine. That rumor is slightly true."**

**"Go on..."**

**"I didn't want to serve Cao Cao, so I had to fake an illness. One day, I was drying books and I went outside to get them because there was a storm brewing. It just so happened my maid saw me healthy and she went to tell my wife at the time was just thirteen years old."**

**"And she killed her."**

**"Yes. I find it frightening how a girl small as her back then was able to do that..."**

**"Do you fear for your life?"**

**"No. She wouldn't kill me. I was joking back when I said she would kill me if I spread some rumor about her. I have treated her well ever since she was young."**

**"I can see that. How are your two sons?"**

**"You're very prying into my personal life? How would you like it if I pry into yours?"**

**"I have no family. Nothing for me to talk about."**

**"Fine. Shi and Zhao are fine, anyway. Shi is showing much promise. Zhao is still ****too young to be taught anything now. ****Since you're prying into my life, how about I pry into yours? I noticed you make a lot of absences. Xun Yu once said you were on business. What do you do?"**

**"I sell things on the side, so I have to go all around down south."**

**"Why would you need to? You have lots of money. I've seen your chests."**

**"I prefer not to run out of money, so I make sure my chests stay full."**

**"Greed is the downfall of man."**

**"Anyway, I should stop bothering you and go back home to rest." Huang Shi Er gets up to walk off the deck and away from the lake. Sima Yi turns around to look at him attentively and a tug makes him turn back to his fishing pole. He pulls up to have a small fish at the end of the line.**

**"There was life in here after all." He removes the fish and lets it go into the lake. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Xuchang, 212 A.D.**

**Huang Shi Er walks out of the palace in his scholar robes. He sees Xun Yu walking next to a man talking to him with a stressed expression. He goes closer and listens to the conversation.**

**"How could you suggest that? Cao Cao is supposed to protect the Han! Not take it for his own!"**

**"The Han is dead. Lord Cao Cao will be the one to lead this country into a new age. The man along with me want him to be duke. You can't stop the majority." The man walks away, leaving Xun Yu to look at him with eyes of rage. Huang Shi Er walks up to him.**

**"What's wrong?"**

**"Dong Zhao and the rest of the court want to make Cao Cao duke. This will make him have a self-contained feudal state within the Han capital."**

**"You don't like that?"**

**"What I wanted for Cao Cao is that he protect the Emperor in the name of the Han. If this proposal passes, it'll be out of the question."**** Xun Yu walks away from Huang Shi Er down the stairs.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er tails Xun Yu as he walked into an office. He listens in through a window to hear Cao Cao's voice.<strong>

**"I would like you to go down to reward the soldiers for their effort in the latest campaign with Sun Quan."**

**"Yes, sir."**

**"Also, Xun Yu. I heard you said some things about me becoming duke."**

**"I just believe that becoming duke wouldn't help the Han."**

**"Oh, it would. By creating a state that is superior to the Han itself, I can recreate it only in a newer and improved light."**

**"..." Xun Yu walks out of the office silent. Huang Shi Er peeks through the window to see Cao Cao frowning and muttering.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er in his Assassin robes sneaks around a camp and watches from afar soldiers talking and Xun Yu is seen walking around giving pouches of coins to men. He then walks into the main tent there. Huang Shi Er silently walks by soldiers' backs and uses other tents to hide himself. He enters the main tent and he sees Xun Yu sitting at a desk with his head in his hands and had his head on the desk. He walks in silently and was standing right in front of him without him hearing or noticing. He unsheathes his sword and with one swift movement, he stabs the blade into Xun Yu's back. He takes it out and Xun Yu gets up clutching his wound with shocked eyes.<strong>

**"Huuuu... You..." He falls onto his back and tries to get up while holding his bloodied chest. He coughs blood and talks with a raspy voice.**

**"Song Xian...Or that isn't your name...?" Huang Shi Er removes his hood to reveal his face.**

**"That is not my name. I tricked you into thinking I was a simple scholar."**

**"Tricked... Not exactly. I knew you weren't any normal man... But I held my tongue." He coughs more. "Why...? I am no longer any value to Cao Cao... Yet why kill me?"**

**"You were the Templar recruiter."**

**"I simply served him blindly thinking he was the one to save the Han. I was wrong. I don't even know what a Templar is...****But then again... I was the one who recruited all of those men who then became loyal to Cao Cao and not the Han. I've brought all of this onto myself..."**

**"You created an empire of Templars unknowingly for Cao Cao." Xun Yu shuts his eyes and faces down at the ground.**

**"Why aren't you calling for guards?"**

**"What would be the point? I am going to die no matter what. And since you are an assassin, you will make this look like a suicide." **

**"You're correct even when near death."**

**"The only thing I was ever wrong about was Cao Cao..." **

**"Why did you remain loyal all this time?" **

**"The Han was dying. I had always believed it could be saved. But ever since Dong Zhou burned down Luoyang those many years ago, it immediately died there. A part of me knew as I ran from the flames, but I diluted myself into thinking it could be really saved all of these many years..." Xun Yu**** slowly lies on the floor and close his eyes to shed a tear. His body then remains still. Huang Shi Er takes the sword in his hands and places it near Xun Yu's body. He walks out of the tent and sneaks away from the camp.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Xuchang<span>**

**Huang Shi Er was walking by Cao Cao along with a few other officials. Among them, was Jia Xu and he speaks with Cao Cao.**

**"Why did you bring us out here, my Lord?"**

**"Did you hear?"**

**"Hear what?"**

**"Xun Yu passed away."  
><strong>

**"Illness?"**

**"There was a sword near his body and his hands were bloodied. It was suicide."**

**"But... He didn't show any sign of sadness or any thought of killing himself."**

**"Yet he lied on the ground with the sword near him."**

**"What are you going to do now?"**

**"Pay my respects. He is to be buried with honors and I will care for his family. I told them it was illness. I'd hate to see his wife's face if I told her it was suicide."**

** Huang Shi Er remains silent throughout the walk. Jia Xu then turns to him.**

**"You're awfully quiet today. Well, I've seen Xun Yu was rather nice to you back when you were recruited. You feel sad for him, no?"**

**"Yes. Sure. To know that someone you were talking to a few days ago dies just like that hits you."**

**"That's understandable." They walk into a small building with an altar at its middle. A framed panel was at the center of the altar. Candles and incense were around it. **

**"**荀彧" **(Xun Yu) **

**Huang Shi Er looks a****t the panel with a face of slight sadness.**

**"**Yěxǔ nǐ ānxí. **(May you rest in peace.)" After a while, the people started the funeral ceremony. Huang Shi Er leaves the area when it was done. He gets stopped by Cao Cao.**

**"Where are you going?"**

**"I am very sad. I think I want to go away for a while to calm myself."**

**"Very well. Xun Yu was the one with the most faith in you. I suppose it's only right you are sad about his passing."**

**"Yes. That." **

* * *

><p><span><strong>Yi Province, 213<strong>

**Huang Shi Er runs on top of the roofs of the housing around the city. He climbs a few trees to then drop into a bay of hay. He looks through to watch a man in green robes with a twisted face walk with Liu Bei.**

**"General Liu Bei, you know why I'm here, no?"**

**"Liu Zhang wants to ally with me to counter Zhang Lu from the north."**

**"Yes, about that... How about we go somewhere a little more private?" **

**"Well, okay..." They walked towards outside of the city and Huang Shi Er followed them. The streets were bustling with people, so he was able to walk by without anyone bothering to look at him. He climbs over the city walls and hides in a hay-filled cart. He continues to eavesdrop on those two men. Liu Bei continues to speak with that man.**

**"What is it do you want, Master Fa Zheng?"**

**"General, you are too brilliant to be taking orders from that weak Liu Zhang. Zhang Song, a trusted adviser to Liu Zhang will serve as your spy. Upon taking over Yi, you will realize your great ambitions with its wealth and resources."**

**"...This is so sudden. Why?"  
><strong>

**"Like I said, he is weak and incompetent. My abilities would be more of use to you."**

**"I... I don't know. To turn on him like that..."**

**"Do not think about it. It is a great opportunity ready for you to take."**

**"I accept."**

**"Good. Lead your forces here and "help" Liu Zhang for a while until it is time to hit him off-guard." Fa Zheng turns away from Liu Bei to walk back into the city. Liu Bei goes back into the city as well and Huang Shi Er follows him. **

**Huang Shi Er sees Liu Bei walk into a simple building and a man greets him. His face had a scraggly beard and had long messy hair. Liu Bei enters, closing the door. Huang Shi Er quickly runs up to the building and presses himself against the wall to listen in through the window.**

**"So, we're all set to take Yi from Liu Zhang?"**

**"I am still very unsure about doing this, Master Pang Tong..."**

**"He's a weak man, I'm going to say that. You're more powerful than him. The powerful beat the weak, simple as that."**

**"But-"**

**"Ah-bubububub! I have come up with three plans for you to choose from. First, you can just swiftly take Yi from underneath Liu Zhang's nose. Second, take Liu Zhang's armies to then take Yi away from Liu Zhang. Or lastly, go back to Baicheng and wait."**

**"There isn't much choice... I will ask for the second one."**

**"Smart. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to a tavern and drink."**

**"What about-"**

**"The rest is up to you and Fa Zheng." The man walks out of the building and down into the street. Liu Bei goes out of that building and disappears into the crowds. Huang Shi Er then takes out folded clothes to change into them. He now wore a robe and had his hair tied. He puts his armor and assassin robes behind a boulder near that house. He walks out onto the streets and enters the same tavern the man from before went in. Once he got in there, people were talking loudly and some men in there were already passed out on the ground. He ignores everything to see the man from before again. He quickly and discreetly sits in the same table. He takes a bottle and that man quickly grabs his hand.**

**"Get your own."**

**"Excuse me." He puts down the bottle. "I thought I put my bottle around here somewhere..."**

**"Get yourself a new one then."**

**"I'm going to do that." Huang Shi Er calls over a server to give him a bottle of wine. He takes it to drink out of and says to Pang Tong,"So, where are you from?"**

**"Eh, somewhere. I forget."**

**"How do you forget?"**

**"I don't look back. I only go forward."**

**"Where do you work?"**

**"I work with Liu Bei. You heard of him, no?"**

**"Why yes. I hear he is getting powerful and is trying to take this place." Pang Tong chokes on his wine and looks at Huang Shi Er.**

**"That information is a private matter. Who are you?"**

**"What are you talking about?"**

**"Only I and Liu Bei know of that."**

**"Really? I can already hear the townspeople gossiping about that. It's not exactly a secret anymore." Huang Shi Er takes out a pouch of coins and throws it into the hands of a server. He takes one last gulp of his drink and leaves the tavern. **

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er sits on a bench reading a piece of paper. A hooded figure takes a seat next to him.<strong>

**"So, how is life working for the enemies?"**

**"Cao Cao and his men don't seem like enemies, to be honest."**

**"That's what they want you to think." **

**"I know. Why are you here, Wei Jin? Shouldn't you be busy trying to mess up my mission?"**

**"I just got a good look at the Zhuge Liang fellow and I just realized something. He really looks like a Sage."**

**"I heard things about him being a sage. With him being all holy and being a Taoist..."**

**"No, a Sage. I've read many accounts on many Sages through time and Zhuge Liang fits the description in terms with appearance."**

**"Really? How can you see? He spends most of his time hidden behind his fan. Why is he working with Liu Bei then? Out of all people?"**

**"Look, I saw his face and I know all of his facial features. He is a Sage and I don't know why he is working with Liu Bei."**

**"Is it possible for Liu Bei to be a Templar?"**

**"You'll need to ask Mentor on that. I don't know much."**

**"By the way, how's your sister-"**

**"Touch my sister and you're dead."**

**"You're just a little uneasy with me becoming your brother-in-law."**

**"The thought of you becoming my brother is out of the question."**

**"What are you doing now?"**

**"I go around, collecting intel. On occasion, I have to send reports."**

**"Since those men in Wei saw your face, you can't do my job. And how can you scout if you have one eye?"**

**"Instead of rubbing it in my face, why don't you go back to Wei? The officials will get suspicious of your absence. And I adapt to my circumstances. Like you said years ago."**

**"I'm glad you listen to me for once in your lifetime, but with Liu Bei..."**

**"I will give you any new information about him. You don't want to compromise your mission, so go."**

**"Look, you may have turned into an adult not long ago, but that doesn't mean you talk down on me, kiddo."**

**"I'm not talking down on you. Just simply making sure you don't screw this up like back at Chibi."**

**"That was your fault, **bái chī**! (Idiot!) Your naive ass then almost died there! You're lucky I didn't leave you there! Have you no gratitude?"**

**"Of course I do, but I think the job would have gotten done more faster if you'd just stab Cao Cao in his mangy throat and get it done already."**

**"I would have died!"**

**"All for our creed, no?"**

**"I don't abide by the creed a lot. I go on my own path and that is surviving."**

**"Well, you and I are two different people then." Wei Jin gets up from the bench to walk away.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Luoyang <strong>

**Huang Shi Er was in his scholar robes and he knocks on a door. The door opens to have a man resembling of Sima Yi.**

**"Oh, excuse me. Is Sima Yi here?"**

**"No. He's working."**

**"Who are you?"**

**"I'm his younger brother, Sima Fu." Sima Fu resembled his brother only that his eyes and face was softer than Sima Yi's. **

**"Well, I just need to give him these papers..." **

**"Lord Cao Cao is holding a court and my brother is attending there. You can wait until it is over to talk to him. Why don't you stay for tea until he comes back?" **

**"I don't want to bother you..."**

**"Nonsense. I always like company." Sima Fu lets Huang Shi Er in and he walks with him.**

**"You're Song Xian, no? I hear things about you. But this is the first time I've ever actually properly seen your face."**

**"I've never seen you around here before..."**

**"Maybe it's that I've been drowning in work these past few weeks. Today, right now is my free time."**

**"You live with your brother?"**

**"No. I'm just visiting. It just so happens my brother isn't home."**

**"Who let you in then?"**

**"My sister-in-law." Sima Fu slides open a door and the two enter.**

**"Master Song Xian, take a seat and wait here. I'll go prepare the tea." He leaves the room and Huang Shi Er looks around. The room was decorated and in the designs of dragons and birds were the supports. Sima Fu comes back after only a minute with a look on his face.**

**"Oh. You're back fast."**

**"Well... Hehehe... Lady Zhang was insisting she make the tea since I too was technically a guest here..."**

**"Why did you...?"**

**"I was used to serving people back at my house. I guess I forgot I was in my brother's home and not my own..."**

**"Where do you live?"**

**"Somewhere near here. Even though my brothers live relatively close to each other, we are often too busy to visit each other." The door slides open to have walk in Zhang Chunhua holding a tray and she sets it down on the table in between the two men.**

**"Thank you, **sǎozi**. (Sister-in-law.) ****You could have let me help you-"**

**"It is already done. You don't need to burden yourself for me." She turns to look at Huang Shi Er.**

**"Evening, Master Song Xian. My husband didn't say anything of you coming here, so this is a surprise."**

**"I just wanted to drop off these personal papers and your brother-in-law just let me in."**

**"Well, Lord Sima Yi has said you're always welcome here unless if you were convicted of treason."**

**"Uh..."**

**"Those were his exact words. But don't take them seriously."**

**"Ah...hehehehe... He's a funny man..." Huang Shi Er hides his nervousness by drinking a large gulp of tea. "So... hehehe... I already talked to Sima Fu here... What about you?"**

**"You don't need to know anything on me. I'm just a simple housewife."**

**"Come on, I just want to make conversation."**

**"I have nothing of worth to say."**

**"Back where I'm from, the women talk."**

**"Where you're from is foreign then." Sima Fu then cuts in,"Lady Zhang Chunhua is from a family with some prestige."**

**"Lord Sima Fu, I wish that you would not talk about me when I am right here."**

**"He wants to get to know you and I'm just letting him."**

**"...Go ahead."**

**"Why don't you say it?"**

**"Fine. All I can offer of interest is that my great grandfather served as a high magistrate back when the Han was ruling." Huang Shi Er takes a sip of his tea and asks her to continue.**

**"Go on."  
><strong>

**"You're interested?"**

**"Well, I have lots of time on my hands, so yes."**

**"I have nothing else."**

**"No way! You hold more things!"**

**"Such curiosity. Unfortunately, I can't say anymore."**

**"Why not?" The door opens to have Sima Shi walk in. He was taller than before and talked with a more formal tone despite being still a child. **

**"**Mǔqīn, **(Mother) I am trying to calm Zhao down, but he won't stop crying."**

**"Excuse me, you two. I have to go care for my son." Sima Fu goes up to her and takes the tray from her hands. **

**"I will clean up here."**

**"No, you must not."**

**"I insist."**

**"...If you say so." Zhang Chunhua leaves the room with Sima Shi and Sima Fu turns to Huang Shi Er.**

**"Are you finished?"**

**"Yes."**

**"I don't think we made a dent in killing time, so if you cannot wait for giving Sima Yi his papers, I suggest going over to the palace and wait there."**

**"Thank you." Huang Shi Er walks out of that room and goes towards the outer gates to leave.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er leans against a pillar of the palace and he watches the court in session. He listens to the talking and debating. The emperor was sitting on his throne listening to the chatter. Cao Cao was sitting next to him in a desk. Huang Shi Er closes his eyes and the talking quiets down. He looks over to watch the emperor move his mouth and the words were loud in his head.<strong>

**"I now promote Cao Cao..." He hesitated. "...Duke of Wei... I will also bestow the nine bestowments and give him ten cities under his domain..." **

**"Looks like Emperor Xian is giving up." Huang Shi Er quickly leans over to see a hooded figure leaning on the same pillar. **

**"Wei Jin, what are you doing here?"**

**"Just witnessing the fall of a dynasty. Only a few more years until Cao Cao gets rid of him for good. No matter what we do, we can't save him. Unless you can get rid of Cao Cao first."**

**"I'll be a wanted man. I won't be able to live in peace."**

**"Waiting until he bites the dust will be dangerous."**

**"Well, what can I do?"**

**"Hmm... We can use Liu Bei and Sun Quan. Since we're well-acquainted with that Lu Su fellow, we might be able to get them to kill Cao Cao for us. And if we lead Liu Bei the right direction, we can hasten the process."**

**"I can't leave now. Just go collect more information on Liu Bei and his followers and I'll get back to you when I'm ready."**

**"Alright. Also, I have some people for you to kill while you're here." He hands Huang Shi Er a paper with names written on it. When Huang Shi Er leans over again, Wei Jin was gone. He hides the paper in his sleeves and he turns to see officials pour out of the palace entrance. Huang Shi Er enters the palace and the emperor was still sitting on his throne. His eyes were forced to turn when a hand grabs his shoulder. Huang Shi Er quickly turns to see Jia Xu.**

**"Ah!"**

**"You weren't here. Why is that?"**

**"I was supposed to be here?"**

**"Yes. You were issued an edict from Cao Cao to come to court. You didn't show today."**

**"I overslept due to a hangover."**

**"Ay, you can't be always doing this. Unless..."**

**"I'm very sorry... I should talk with Lord Cao Cao about this." **

**"You should. He is in a good mood right now, so I suppose he'll be lenient towards you." Jia Xu turns away to walk out the palace. Huang Shi Er approached the emperor and he quickly looks up.**

**"You again..."**

**"Why did you do that? Give Cao Cao even more power?"**

**"I... had no choice... I'm afraid on what he'll do to me... Thirteen years ago, I tried to stop him, but my consort was executed because of that... Please... Help me..."**

**"How can I?"**

**"He is human, just stab him and it'll all be over..."**

**"It doesn't work that way."**

**"I will pardon you if you get arrested."**

**"It still wouldn't work. His followers hold more power than you combined."**

**"Sad, but true... I suppose you wouldn't use your life for a weakling of an emperor like me..."**

**"I am trying as hard as I can here. But..." The emperor gets up quickly and forces a small cube into Huang Shi Er's chest. He walks away fast and Huang Shi Er looks at the cube.**

**"What is this...?" The emperor was already gone when he tried to ask. He puts it on his person and he walks out of the palace. **

**"I forgot to look for Sima Yi... Where is he now...? Huff... I'll go look for him later once I finish those jobs." **

* * *

><p><span><strong>Nightfall<strong>

**Huang Shi Er jumps from the roof of a building to stab his hidden blade into a man with bodyguards surrounding him. The guards start to attack Huang Shi Er, but he dodges fluidly to stab a guard in the neck and run away from the rest. ****He climbs onto the roofs and the guards throw large rocks at him. Huang Shi Er stops for just a second to pull out his bow to shoot arrows at the guards. A few fall dead and Huang Shi Er runs off more and loses the guards. He uses the night to help himself get to his estate safely. Once he was in, he quickly changes back into his scholar robes. He unbuckles the hidden blades off his arms and sets them on the table in a drawer.**

**"Now to finally get this work to Sima Yi." He takes papers and scrolls to go out into the night. **

**Huang Shi Er gets to the house gates and attempts to open them, but they were locked.**

**"Damn. I am not leaving until I can get rid of this!" He turns to walk around the housing's walls to climb over them. He lands into a small garden and he looks around to see it being very still. There was a pond and a small bridge was going over it. He walks over it and looks through the windows of the house. A rustling noise was heard and he turns to see a dark figure dragging something and was going towards him. Huang Shi Er quickly walks to hide in one of the small garden buildings in the area and watches the figure drag its item through the garden. The moonlight hits them and it was someone dragging a corpse. The person had already covered their head with a black cloth. The corpse had black robes and had a hood covering their bloodied face.**

**"No..." The figure takes the body and tosses it over the house's outer walls. The figure then runs back behind the house building. Huang Shi Er slowly gets out from his hiding spot and looks at the house.**

**"Something's going on here...I'll think of it later. I have to get in there without anyone noticing." **

**Huang Shi Er removes a window from outside and slowly climbs in. He then finds a large desk and he sets his paper onto it. He quickly walks back to the window he just removed and climbs out of its opening to set back on the window frame. He climbs over the outer walls and stops to see the corpse from before. When he got a better look, Huang Shi Er's eyes narrowed at it.**

**"This is no doubt one of our own... But no one I knew. I'm going to have to report this to a scout later."**


	7. Chapter 7

**Assassin Headquarters 213 A.D.**

**Huang Shi Er is standing next to a large shelf reading a few books. He puts them back in and he gets approached by a female assassin.**

**"Aren't you supposed to be over in the Wei kingdom?"**

**"I have an alibi. Besides, all Cao Cao is doing is repelling random attacks from the Wu kingdom."**

**"From what I've been hearing, you're just displaying your strength rather than intelligence."**

**"What can I say? I can't predict the future unlike those other strategists."**

**"A shame. I prefer my men sharp and strong."**

**"Hey, I am sharper than the next man that comes around." **

**"We'll see about that."**

**"What are you talking about?"**

**"I'm one of the scouts that report most of your activity."**

**"Oh really? Tell me one thing you reported."**

**"For starters, you spend too much time wasting money in taverns through gambling and drinking, you sexually harass any woman in your way when you are drunk, and less time finding and killing Templars. And... I occasionally get a look in your room to find you... uh... Having intercourse with women..."**

**"You're just jealous you're not one of those women."**

**"Heh, I'm not one to simply bed the first man I meet."**

**"Anyway, can you tell me anything on this cube?" He looks through in his robes and he pulls out a clear cube with a small hole at its very center. The woman looks at him with disbelief.**

**"Now you show me this...?" She suddenly grabs him by the neck and drags him down the stairs of the library and onto the ground floor. She then drags him towards to an large opening that led into an office and lets him go there.**

**"Ow! Ow! What?!"**

**"That cube is something you should have alerted us about! Where did you get that?"**

**"The emperor."**

**"Emperor Xian? Why would he be holding that?"**

**"I don't know. He just shoved this into my hands and walked away shaking."**

**"Why were you with the emperor in the first place?"**

**"I was curious and he suddenly begged me to kill Cao Cao." Qin Song walks through another doorway in the room and goes next to his desk. He sees the two.**

**"What is it? I heard Huang Shi Er yelling in pain."**

**"Show him." The female Assassin elbows Huang Shi Er hard and he yells out in pain. He quickly pulls out the small clear cube and Qin Song looks at it with surprise.**

**"That's a blood vial. Where did you get that?"**

**"The emperor gave it to me. Or he forced it onto me."**

**"Well, this is a breakthrough. Why would the emperor hold an empty blood vial though?"**

**"I never got to ask him. He was gone by the time I could even ask."**

**"Why don't you give it to me? I would like to make sure it stays out of anyone's hands."**

**"Sure." Huang Shi Er hands the vial to Qin Song. He says,****"Also, I heard there is a Sage within Liu Bei's ranks."**

**"Yes, I got a report. And I even got a drawing of him." Qin Song walks up to his desk and takes a paper off his desk. He holds it up to show a drawing of a man with a long goatee and holding a fan.**

**"I've been always seeing this man everywhere I go spy on Liu Bei."**

**"This is Zhuge Liang. A farmer turned scholar. He had Sima Hui as a teacher which in that later recommended him to Liu Bei along with Pang Tong. He is one of Liu Bei's mostly trusted men next to his sworn brothers Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, along with his favorite general, Zhao Yun. But what I am worried about is that there is a hidden place in this country that would require that blood vial and a Sage's blood. It might be possible for Cao Cao to know of such a place and knowing him, he's looking for it already. You have to get to him before he finds it."**

**"I got it."**

**"This also means I'll have to increase the number of scouts in that area to sabotage his search."**

**"Where is this place anyway?"**

**"We actually don't know where it is here. But it is guaranteed to be sealed until a Sage can unlock it."**

**"If you send people to sabotage the search, we won't know where it is."**

**"It is best for no one to know where it is to avoid someone here deciding to betray us to get there. Even I must not know."**

**"But wouldn't it be a little better to know where it is and then make sure it is hidden fully?" said the female Assassin.**

**"We haven't found it now, so it is obvious it's hidden well enough. Anyway, you two get back to Wei while we try to direct Wu to attacking Wei more. We'll wait until Liu Bei gets his land and do the same with him. Now go." The two walk out of the office and are in the main hall. Huang Shi Er then asks the female Assassin,"You know... I think I forgotten your name... Care to tell me what it is...?"**

**"Fang Yun. Now isn't the time for social conversations. Get back into Wei before people get suspicious of you."**

**"Alright, alright..."**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er walks on a dirt trail in the middle of what seems nowhere while looking at a map.<strong>

**"Where is that sewer...?" He walks with his eyes on the map and not where he was going. He continues until he hears a loud clang on his foot. He looks down to see a large lid barely covered in dirt. Huang Shi Er kneels down to pry it open from the dirt. He climbs down and replaces the lid.**

**In the middle of a large field of dry grass, the lid pops off a patch of grass and Huang Shi Er climbs out to replace the lid. He turns to face the direction of the Imperial palace from afar. The sun was shining behind it as it was setting. **

**"It's almost late. I better get back quickly." He runs towards that direction.**

**Huang Shi Er dresses out in his simple robes back at his estate and he goes to sit in a desk. He spreads papers out on the desk. The papers had writing written from top to bottom and a few had drawings. A loud bang was heard in the building. Huang Shi Er gets out of his seat and looks over the doorway. Nothing was there and he continues to proceed forward. A hand extends to him and Huang Shi Er quickly turns to knock a cloaked figure down and had his hidden blade up to its head.**

**"Ahhhhh!" The hood falls off to reveal the face of the emperor. "Please! Don't do it!"**

**"What...? Why are you here? How did you find me?"**

**"I sneaked out of my palace dressed as this and I knew where you lived from overheard conversations from Cao Cao."**

**"What do you want?"**

**"My empress has decided to send a letter to her father to conspire to kill Cao Cao. I want you to protect her from harm just in case Cao Cao were to find out."**

**"I can't."**

**"Why not? I will make sure-"**

**"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I have seen the courts up until now. You hold power only when it will benefit Cao Cao. He will make you pass an edict to kill me no matter what. And I'm not ready to compromise my mission just yet."**

**"The longer you wait, the more power he gathers by the minute!" **

**"These years have took a toll on your mental health. I'm sorry, but I have to remain to be a Wei official until the time presents itself."**

**"What about Xun Yu? You soiled your blade of a man that was already disposed of by Cao Cao."**

**"As much I hated to kill him, I had to. It was to weaken the army even if it's only a little."**

**"Cao Cao has more advisers that can easily replace him!" Loud knocking was heard outside. A voice was heard over behind the house gates.**

**"Open the gates! We have to search this area!" **

**"The Imperial soldiers!"**

**"Aren't they your soldiers?"**

**"Not anymore... They are under Cao Cao's orders. I will surrender myself to them. But please keep my words in mind." The emperor removes his cloak and walks out of the building to the house gates. The gates at the same time break down to have soldiers storm in with spears. **

**"His Majesty is to return to the palace this instance!"**

**"I know."**

**"We shall escort you." The emperor silently walks in front of the soldiers and they follow from behind. Huang Shi Er looks from the building's doorway and he sighs. He faces the direction of where the moon was. A figure was seen running on the tops of the roofs with the moonlight shining behind it. It disappears into darkness when Huang Shi Er takes his eyes off it for a split second.**

**"Looks like the Mentor's orders got through. At least more weight is off my shoulders." He turns to go back into the house building.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Xuchang, 214 A.D.<span>**

**Huang Shi Er sits at a desk writing on a scroll. He stops writing and puts the brush down to roll up the scroll. He got up holding the scroll and walks past a few sets of desks. They were occupied by other scholars and officials that were either writing or reading scrolls. He goes through a doorway and at a desk sat Sima Yi who was looking through papers. Drawings of intricate designs could be seen and when Sima Yi looks up at Huang Shi Er, he sets them away from his eye.**

**"What do you want?"**

**"Just finished the last of my work and I'm here to give it to you."**

**"Ah, yes. Just set it here." Huang Shi Er goes up to put the scroll on the desk, and catches a glimpse of the papers from before. They all had the same type of drawing which was a dragon on a pedestal. Writing was at the edges. Another drawing was a sword with similar writings around it. He slowly retracts his body from there and turns to leave. **

**Huang Shi Er was walking down the long corridor and he hears yelling from a room. Soldiers drag a woman out of the doorway with Cao Cao walking behind them. She was yelling out and at the doorway was the emperor standing helplessly.**

**"Emperor Xian! Emperor Xian! Why aren't you stopping them?" The emperor remains still with a terrified face.**

**"...What can I do...? I could not even know what would happen to me..." The soldiers and Cao Cao leave the building with the woman. Emperor Xian drops to his knees and covers his face with his hands. Huang Shi Er walks up to him. He hears sobbing from him. **

**"What happened, Your Majesty?" The emperor stands up to grab Huang Shi Er's robes.**

**"Cao Cao found out on my empress's plan! You bastard! You could have protected her!"**

**"I tried by telling some of my associates, but it looks like in the end, their efforts was uncovered."**

**"How?"**

**"I don't know." The emperor lets go of him and again sinks down onto the ground. He starts to talk with teary eyes.**

**"Her family will be executed. I can't save her no matter how much I plead... Cao Cao is making me a prisoner in my own palace..."**

**"I'm sorry, but I have to ask you on something. Why did you give me that cube from a year ago?" The emperor gains back his posture and stands up to face Huang Shi Er.**

**"You still have it... I know what it is for and I have to make sure Cao Cao doesn't get it if I were to die."**

**"You know where the place requires this is?"**

**"...No."**

**"You're lying."**

**"If you know, what will you do?"**

**"The Order will take great measures to make sure that is not opened by the wrong people."**

**"...I can't. That secret will die with me."**

**"How do you know anyway?"**

**"Visions. I get visions before I was crowned emperor."**

**"I suppose I can't get this information out of you no matter what." Huang Shi Er walks away from the emperor and out of the building. **

**At the city marketplace, Huang Shi Er walks through the crowds and heads into an alley. Two hooded figures stood waiting for him. **

**"What are the news on Liu Bei?" One of the hooded figures says in a male voice,"He took over most of Yi province and in turn loses Pang Tong."**

**"How?"**

**"You can say a stray arrow struck him and he died from the wound."**

**"You killed him?"**

**"Not exactly. Liu Zhang's men unintentionally did that for us." The other hooded figure talks and it was female. **

**"You wanted information on Sun Quan, no?"**

**"Yes."**

**"Well, he's getting suspicious of Liu Bei now. But remember Lu Su?"**

**"Yes."**

**"He really thinks Liu Bei of an ally still. It's baffling." **

**"He's a really nice person."**

**"Nice doesn't get you anywhere in this world." said the first hooded figure.**

**"Oh, don't be like that."**

**"What about you? Did you pick up anything?" said the second hooded figure.**

**"The empress was executed for conspiring against Cao Cao. And I saw Sima Yi holding some papers that for some reason are bothering me."**

**"Why is that?"**

**"Are we looking for any Pieces of Eden right now?"**

**"It isn't our top priority now since we don't have any leads on Pieces. We are trying to find the Seal of Eden and a Sword of Eden. They are in this country, but that is all the information we got."**

**"A seal and a sword?"**

**"Yes."**

**"Those were exactly the things I saw on Sima Yi's papers."**

**"Really? Then we might need to keep an eye on him. I'll give this message to the quarters." That figure jumps up to climb up onto the roof of a building and runs off. The remaining one then gives Huang Shi Er a letter.**

**"This is for you from the Mentor." Then he runs off to climb onto the roofs of the building near them. Huang Shi Er opens the letter and reads it.**

For the eyes of Huang Shi Er:

Go down to Wu. They are already suspicious about Liu Bei since he is busy taking Yi Province. Sun Quan is furious and I want you to go down there to add fuel to his fire. I know you're well-acquainted with his adviser and try to persuade them to attack Cao Cao.

* * *

><p><strong>A man walks by a building and he gets pulled away from the public eye by Huang Shi Er to get stabbed in the chest by him. Huang Shi Er then escapes the area. He perches himself in a tree and a hooded figure was sitting on the branch next to him. <strong>

**"You'll kill petty Templars, but not the major ones? Are you holding back or something?"**

**"Those small time Templars won't be missed. Not that much compared to killing, you know, Cao Cao." He scoots closer to the hooded Assassin and pulls off the hood to reveal Fang Yun's face.**

**"You know, you look cuter without the hood."**

**"Nice try." Fang Yun puts back on the hood. **

**"Come on, you're too serious."**

**"If we get caught, it's going to be no laughing matter."**

**"Why are you following me around? Shouldn't you be checking up on Wei Jin? He needs the supervision more."**

**"He may be only eighteen, but he can handle himself. Now you, on the other hand..."**

**"You miss me, that's why you're following me."**

**"You wish. I'm one of the few women at the hideout that didn't give in to your little... comments... It won't be now."**

**"I'm a handsome, strong man, what more can you ask for?"**

**"You having some maturity and a brain."**

**"Which I do have."**

**"Ugh, goodbye." Fang Yun jumps off from the tree and runs off. **

* * *

><p><strong><span>Xuchang, Marketplace 215 A.D.<span>**

**Huang Shi Er goes into an alley and sees Wei Jin leaning on one of the building's walls. **

**"What now?" Wei Jin gets away from the wall and turns to him. **

**"You first. You should have heard of something new in the Wei ranks."**

**"Well... There was a small warlord somewhere in Hanzhong that surrendered to Cao Cao. I got a promotion since my lord was promoted as well."**

**"Did you even do anything?"**

**"A few things like helping out on the strategies and going out to defend some points."**

**"It won't be long until you'll be thrown out."**

**"Not as long I've got our brothers to pose a scholars and continue to put in good word for me."**

**"So that's how you even got into their ranks..."**

**"Along with my own intelligence of course."**

** Wei Jin sighs in exasperation.**

**"Let us get off that topic. I have something interesting I saw during when I was spying on your 'friends' over there. You remember our conversation with the Pieces of Eden, no?"**

**"Yes. A sword and an office seal specifically."**

**"Well, do you want to know how Cao Cao is so influential with people and why do they are so fearing of him?"**

**"Yes, of course. What is it?"**

**"He was carrying a sword."**

**"Everyone carries swords. This has to be a very unique sword of his then for it to catch your eye. What's so special about it?"**

**"During when he marched his men to Hanzhong, I saw that sword glow when I was tailing him using a soldier's disguise. Even when it was in its sheathe, I saw tiny bits of light come out of the tiny details of the sheathe."**

**"His sword has gold lining on it. The sun must have hit it and made you think it glowed."**

**"The sun wasn't out. It was cloudy that day."**

**"Huh. I might need to get a closer look at it then. What about this Imperial Seal you spoke of?"**

**"I did tell you this. That seal was lost when Yuan Shu was defeated by a coalition after he declared himself emperor."**

**"That's what the official books say, no? What if someone took it when no one noticed?"**

**"It may be possible, but we don't have any clue on where it is. I am going to give this information to the Mentor and you will do more of whatever is that you do in Wei."**

**"Wait, what about the bodies I found?"**

**"It has been two years since you reported that. The only information that's available is that their identities and orders before they died. You're still onto this?"**

**"I have been investigating this ever since then. I can't find any clues."**

**"Looks like you're going to have to let it go."**

**"No. I want to know and I will get the information I need."**

**"Well, not everyone gets what they want..." He lightly touches where the eyepatch covered what used to be his left eye. "Continue to nose around and those Templars will be very suspicious about you."**

** Wei Jin quickly climbs up the building nearest to them and jumps away across the building tops.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Yi Province<span>**

**Huang Shi Er perches onto the city's wall as he watched a man approach Liu Bei. **

**"Looks like the campaign ended finally." He looks over to see a group of very unique generals behind Liu Bei. He recognizes Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun from the group. **

**"Those two down there almost killed me when I tried to stall them from catching up to Lady Sun a few years back." He moves his eyes to a man in fur armor and a golden dragon helmet.**

**"Oh, we meet again... Ma Chao. Wang Yi would love to hear from you again. I'll guess he joined Liu Bei now." His eyes then move to a man with long hair and was covering his face with a feather fan.**

**"He always hides his face... But I know that man is Zhuge Liang." He continues to look at him attentively until Zhuge Liang moves his eyes to look behind him at Huang Shi Er without turning his head. He then directs his attention back at to the man speaking with Liu Bei. He leans over to Liu Bei and whispers to his ear. Liu Bei turns around to look at the city walls to see nothing on it. **

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er was riding his horse on a dirt road until an arrow suddenly hits the horse and it whinnies in agony to let the two fall onto the ground. Huang Shi Er groans and quickly gets up to look around.<strong>

**"Where did that come from?" Another arrow is shot and he easily dodges. When he dodged that arrow, another arrow was shot and hit his left shoulde****r.**

**"Kfmh!" He holds his shoulder in pain and he quickly moves his head around to find the assailant. He then quickly runs up the dirt road, but another arrow hits him and this time was in the leg. He yells out and falls on the ground. He hears footsteps approaching him and he sees rows and rows of boots surrounding him. Looking up, he sees spears pointed at his face. They were soldiers, and one soldier says to him,"Do not move. Comply and you'll leave with your life. If not, you die here."**

**"Huff... huff... I guess I have no other choice..." The soldiers then pull him up to tie up his hands. Then, a sudden swing hits him in the head and everything turns into darkness.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Huang Shi Er's eyes open to have his vision blurred. He groans and when he turns his head, he sees a table with his weapons and armor on it. He gets up quickly to wince in pain. He holds his shoulder and sees it was bandaged. **

**"Hello, Assassin..." **

**"Ah!" Huang Shi Er jumps and he sees a man hiding his face behind a fan at the end of the bed. **

**"You've awakened. That is good. Do not worry, I will not tell my superior on your presence here, but then again... I was the one who ordered this." The man moves the fan away to fully show his face to Huang Shi Er. **

**"You already know me, isn't that so?"**

**"Of course. You're Zhuge Liang. Why am I here? What do you want?"**

**"You already know that. I know you want to capture me for your little order."**

**"Not capture. Just making sure you don't end up in the wrong hands."**

**"Whose hands are the wrong hands? How do you know your order will use me with good intention? ****I want to make a small deal. I know you are also working in Wei pretending to be one of them, so I'd like some information myself. ****Glad to be in acquaintance with you. ****I will make sure no one sees you and before you leave this place."**

**"I never agreed-"**

**"You do not need to. I'm afraid you don't have much choice since after all, you value your life. I also have a contact wanting to speak with you for some assignments. Get dressed and be ready to take care of some displeasing people."**

**"What if I decide to turn on you?"**

**"Heheheh... You would not do such thing. You obviously need me, so why would you even dare antagonize me? What is your name? You already know my name, so it is my turn to know yours."**

**"Why?"**

**"It is a matter of trust."**

**"I don't trust you anyway."**

**"Tough one, are you not? Trust me and all of your questions will be answered when the time is right."**

**"Huang Shi Er."**

**"Excellent."**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Yi Province<strong>

**Huang Shi Er walks down the city streets and sits on a bench. A man sits by him and whispers without facing him.**

**"Hello, Assassin. Let me give you the target. There are a few men that were recruited by Liu Bei after he took Yi Province from Liu Zhang. They are rather... not content with me..."**

**"What? No name?"**

**"You don't need it. The fact I will pay you a hefty sum if you manage to kill these men discreetly is enough."  
><strong>

**"Really? Because I know you."**

**"Oh? What is my name?"**

**"Fa Zheng. You helped Liu Bei take over this city."**

**"You spied on me? How come I never...Heh. Hehehehehe..." **

**Fa Zheng gives Huang Shi Er a piece of paper and walks away from the bench still snickering. He says before moving out of sight from Huang Shi Er,"Zhuge Liang was right to pick you..." Huang Shi Er unfolds the paper and reads it. He then gets up and walks off.**

* * *

><p><strong>At several areas of the city, guards were scattered around as citizens were running in fear. At the center of the surrounding guards at each area was a dead man that was dressed in elegant robes. Away from the commotion, Huang Shi Er was hiding in an alley and Fa Zheng approaches him to hand him a large pouch of coins.<strong>

**"Here. Just as I promised. Those men were such a bother for me. I appreciate your variety for their deaths. One died of poisoning, another got hanged, while some died 'naturally'. Ahahaha... You're a dark one."**

**"You said discreet."**

**"And you did. I will go tell Zhuge Liang you were a great help to me. I look forward to our next encounter." Fa Zheng turns away and walks off, leaving Huang Shi Er in the alley.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er goes into a small building that seemed abandoned. The inside was dark and dust swirls around with the wind entering it. <strong>

**"Good work, Assassin. Now, I have a reward for you. I hope you will find it useful." Huang Shi Er turns to see Zhuge Liang come out from under the shadows. **

**"Where is it?"**

**"Follow me." Zhuge Liang leads Huang Shi Er into another room and they are greeted with a woman sitting at a table covered in papers and trinkets. The room itself was lit by a few candles and a window that was barely lit by the sunset. The woman stops working and gets up to turn towards to the two to go greet them.**

**"Good evening, my lord." She said to Zhuge Liang. She turns to Huang Shi Er. "Um... I don't know your name, but surely you're the one who Zhuge Liang said to give something to." Zhuge Liang introduces the woman to HuangShi Er,"This is my wife, Huang Yueying. She will be offering you an modified version of your order's series of blades."**

**"You mean this?" Huang Shi Er brandishes his hidden blade in front of them.**

**"Yes. My dear, if you please." Huang Yueying bows and goes away to her tables to take a bundled cloth to them. She unfolds the cloth to reveal a hidden blade with a bracer. The bracer was in the shape in the top of a dragon's head. **

**"What exactly is different about this blade?" asked Huang Shi Er. **

**"The blade is a little thinner and shorter to ensure fast retraction and release. The bracer has a small mechanism within it. The dragon's head fires poison darts of your choosing out from right under its upper jaw. with a simple pull on its horns."**

**"Wow, and... How did you even figure out the weapon?" Zhuge Liang looks at him and says in a hushed voice,"Let us just say it was found on a corpse around here..."**

**"You looted one of my comrades?!"**

**"He was dead. You do not need weapons in the afterlife."**

**"I... I suppose." Huang Shi Er takes the new hidden blade and fastens it onto his left wrist while his old one was on his right. He extends the shiny new blade and retracts it quickly.**

**"If there is any problems with the weapon, you can visit me and I'll see what I can do with it."**

**"Thank you." Zhuge Liang tells him,"I don't know if anyone in Wei notices your absence yet... but I suggest going now before someone gets suspicious of you."**

**"I know that."**

**"Well, go. When you are ready to do some work for me, come back within a week." Huang Shi Er walks away and he mumbles in a disgruntled voice,"He has the nerve to put a stop to my current mission... Maybe someone else can go over to Wu..."**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Xuchang, 215 A.D.<strong>

**Huang Shi Er walks down the large hallway with a bundle of scrolls in his arms. He goes through a circular doorway and sets the scrolls into shelves and leaves. As he was walking, he stops to listen to voices that were coming out from another doorway. He leans against the wall and looks through the openings made from the details around the doorway to see a scholar speaking with Jia Xu, who was slightly hunched over.**

**"...**nǐ jìxù mìqiè guānzhù tā. **(...as you keep an eye on him.)" **

"**He has been going in and out a lot for me to keep up unfortunately."**

**"Very suspicious indeed, but keep him away from the chopping block as long as possible. We need his nosy self to lead us to where that artifact is."**

**"Wouldn't Cao Cao kill him once he finds out of these 'absences'? I know you can't risk him knowing of your plans, so you can't use that as an excuse for him."**

**"Indeed... Hmph... We'll see how this goes for now... Hm?" Jia Xu looks over the suspicious scholar and sees nothing. Huang Shi Er was already walking away from the doorway and out the building.**

* * *

><p><strong>Huang Shi Er is walking around Sima Yi's mansion and climbs over the property's outer walls.<strong>

**"I am going to find out the truth. I can't let those dead men and women die in vain. There must have been something that someone didn't want them to find out." He goes up to one of the windows and pries it out to climb into the building. Setting the window back to its original position, he walks slowly into the quiet, partially dark hall. A female servant comes out from a doorway and Huang Shi Er quickly freezes. The servant doesn't take notice and turns away from Huang Shi Er walking ahead of him. Huang Shi Er deeply breathes out and continues to slowly walk more. Entering the same doorway the servant came from, he stands in a room with a large bed and a vanity sat ahead of him. **

**"Nothing," he mumbled. He turns to walk out and goes to another area of the house. He enters a large room with a fairly large table to his left with chairs. He looks to his right to see smaller tables with vases sitting on top of them. A scroll was hanging on the wall the farthest right to him. Continuing forward, he walks through the doorway and he finds himself in a smaller room. There were large piles of scrolls and papers sitting against the back wall in front of him. A table and a chair was the other only thing left in that room. A flight of stairs led up to the ceiling. Huang Shi Er looks up and sees a handle with a large square surrounding it cut in the ceiling. He climbs up the stairs and pushes up on the small door. He pulls himself up to find himself in an attic. Random trinkets such as broken pottery, rusty weapons, and tableware were scattered along the attic's floor.**

**"All I am getting out of this place is dust and unwanted junk..." He climbs back the stairs and notices he forgot to close the small door. He is about to go close it when a figure is seen behind him and raises a knife over his back. A loud creak was made when it stepped forward to Huang Shi Er. He quickly turns to receive a stab to his right arm. The assailant could not get the knife back since ****Huang Shi Er quickly swings his injured arm towards the figure and he feels it hit a face.**

**"Ah!"**

** Huang Shi Er couldn't see properly since his hood was pulled over his eyes by the figure and he receives a punch to the chest, but he is unfazed thanks to his armor under and he kicks the figure's leg and manages to get himself behind to put them in a chokehold with his left arm and restrain the arms with his right. Huang Shi Er got his hood out of his eye enough to see while also covering his face enough from the captured person. He moves his head to look at the face, and he immediately recognizes her. It was Zhang Chunhua, the spouse of Sima Yi.**

**"Judging on your nice dress and rather expensive jewelry on your person, you're the spouse of the master of this house, no?" Huang Shi Er knew who she was, but had to make sure she didn't recognize him.**

**"**Fàng kāi wǒ. **(****Let go of me.)** **Now.****" she said with a stern voice.**

**"I don't think so. The knife in my arm says otherwise." **

**"Koff... You're choking me... Gah..." **

**"Now tell me why did I find those bodies buried in the dirt around this house?"**

**"I simply got rid of some pesky rodents..."**

**"I don't know your meaning of some, but sixteen bodies seems a bit more than 'some'."**

**"I will not say anymore to you."**

**"Fine." Huang Shi Er jerks Zhang Chunhua towards the flight of stairs and she struggles against him. **

**"Don't you dare!"**

**"Feisty, I like that. Unfortunately, I will not touch a married woman." Huang Shi Er puts more strength into his arms and gets his captive almost to the stairs, but still gets stalled.**

**"How can you still muster up this much energy to struggle?," he angrily says out. **

**"I already know what you're planning to do to me, and I will not allow it!" Huang Shi Er uses more of his power to drag Zhang Chunhua towards the attic, and got to one step on the ladder. He maintains his rate of strength and gets to the attic with her. Once he got the both of them into the attic, he uses the last of his power to throw Zhang Chunhua away from the exit as far as possible and quickly climbs down to close the door. He hears loud thuds that indicated of her getting up, so Huang Shi Er pulls out the knife in his arm and sticks it through the handle so that the long blade will not allow the woman inside to open the attic door. The door rattles loudly and yelling it heard.**

**"Bastard!** Nǐ yīkuài gǒu shǐ! **(You piece of dog shit!)**** "**

**"Now, now, a lady shouldn't have such impure vocabulary." Huang Shi Er replied with a playful tone in his voice. **

**"You will pay for this! Grr!" The door continues to loudly rattle, but the blade keeps the door from opening.**

**"I've never actually seen her be angry, but this is certainly amusing to me. Ah, Sima Yi is going to have fun surprise when he comes home..." He walks out of the room, leaving the attic door to continuously rattle.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Nightfall<strong>

**In the secret room in Huang Shi Er's home, he takes a brush to write on papers and on pins them on a makeshift map of the Wei kingdom. Writing covers certain areas and thread connects the writing and papers together.**

**"Nothing much has drastically changed here... I'll send a report and see what I get back." A loud clang of a metal lid fills the room and a hooded figure falls in. Huang Shi Er turns slowly and happily greets the Assassin.**

**"Oh hello, my dear." **

**"Keep focused, Shi Er." The figure removes her hood and Fang Yun walks up to the map that Huang Shi Er made recently. **

**"You forgot to replace the lid." said Huang Shi Er.**

**"I will put it back when I am finished here. This is all you have done these past years?"**

**"Huff, no gratitude I actually did some proper work for once?"**

**"All that is here are profiles on the important figures within Wei and some notes on certain areas."**

**"I'm just observing these men."**

**"You now, if you want to cause some real disorder within Wei if you can eliminate the Five Elite Generals. ****Those men are what you can say the 'Pillars of Wei'. ****A house can't stand with its pillars turned to dust."**

**"Unfortunately, it's hard to get close to them unless you are Cao Cao himself."**

**"Hopefully, you can come up with a plan soon. By the way, I heard you didn't go to Wu despite being ordered to by the Mentor himself."**

**"Something came up. I couldn't go."**

**"Oh well, Mentor managed to get others to do that. I suppose you got off easy this time."**

**"Oh, I want to have you send this back to headquarters." Huang Shi Er goes over to a table and takes a scroll. He goes to Fang Yun and hands it to her. She notices a bandage wrapped around his whole forearm.**

**"What happened?"**

**"Oh, I did some investigating in a home and the housewife there attacked me."**

**"You let your guard down for a housewife... Hehehe..."**

**"This housewife somehow knew I was in the house despite me being extremely quiet and discreet."**

**"She must be very perspective or you made some noise while scrounging around in her house, no? What were you looking for?"**

**"A few years ago, there were many bodies of our own people buried in the forest nearest to the city. I found a body near Sima Yi's home and I never saw who dumped that body."**

**"It took you that long?"**

**"Things got in the way. But all that matters is that I solved who killed those Assassins. Unfortunately, I couldn't find what they were trying to find in that house."**

**"Are you planning to eliminate this murderer then?"**

**"No, I can't do that. Think of the children. I don't want to leave those children of hers to go about without a mother."**

**"Even if she killed again?"**

**"I can tell she doesn't enjoy killing. She only does it out of necessity. Simply tell everyone to not snoop around there if there isn't any good reason to."**

**"What happened to her anyway after she attacked you?"**

**"I locked her in the house's attic." Fang Yun looks at him with discontent in her eyes.****"She won't die! A servant will hear her banging on the door and open it for her. It's fine."**

**"You hope so or else your little speech on not letting her children go without a mother will be just a waste of words..."****She was about to turn and leave until Huang Shi Er stops her.**

**"I am just wondering... But... May I treat you to-"**

**"I am sorry, but with armies killing each other left and right in this country and the fact all of us are under constant danger, it really kills the mood for any romantic interaction." said Fang Yun with slight sarcasm.**

**"It was worth a go."**

**"Goodbye." She flips on her hood and climbs up the ladder that led up to the surface. A loud sliding noise and a clang from the lid fills the room below. Huang Shi Er sighs deeply and leans on a table facing the large map covered in notes.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Xuchang, 216 A.D.<strong>

**Huang Shi Er sits quietly in his scholar robes as court was in session. He stares occasionally at the Emperor sitting in the golden throne and Cao Cao, who was sitting next to him doing all of the talking. His head moves around looking at many of the other officials sitting in the room. His face makes a very bored expression and lowers his head onto the table he was sitting at to close his eyes. Right when he was ready to doze off, the officials all get up and walk out of the building. Huang Shi Er quickly sits up and stands up. He was about to leave the building until he is grabbed on by the shoulder by Emperor Xian. When he turned to face him, what he saw was Emperor Xian's face riddled with stress which made him look older then he was. His beard even had grey hidden within it.**

**"What is it, Your Majesty?"**

**"I'm surprised you still call me that..."**

**"You are the Emperor after all. I have to show uppermost respect."**

**"Heh, every being here knows on my weakness, yet they continue the charade of me still having power. It is obvious who is holding power here... This court decided that."**

**"Huh?"**

**"You do not even listen to these meetings? Well, I guess they are boring to a young man such as yourself. I guess I will have to tell you what happened-"**

**"Wait. I think I remember something. Oh yes, you promoted Cao Cao to a title called 'King of Wei'."**

**"What? I did?"**

**"You forgot...?"**

**"I don't remember giving him such a title! Why would I try to give more power than he has now?!"**

**"Then why did you give him Duke of Wei before...?"  
><strong>

**"I did?"**

**"How can you-"**

**"No... He controlled me!"**

**"Wait, wait. Calm down, Your Majesty. I don't get it. I was standing there when you gave Cao Cao land and the title."**

**"Take his sword..."**

**"Excuse me?"**

**"Cao Cao carries a blade that shines golden when you look at a correct angle. That sound familiar?"**

**"Well... " Huang Shi Er's eyes widen and he says to the Emperor,"That is something familiar, but I need to see for myself."**

**"Be very useful to Cao Cao and you will." The emperor walks away from Huang Shi Er without saying anymore.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Xuchang, 217 A.D. , Secret Room within the estate<span>**

**Huang Shi Er is strapping on his hidden blades onto his forearms while still in his scholar outfit. The one that he was strapping onto his right arm was the upgraded one he had received from Huang Yueying. The older version was on his left arm. He pulls the robe's sleeves over the bracers so they cover them up completely.**

**"That should do." He turns to walk up the stairs that led up to the back of a bookshelf. It slides open for him to enter the normal part of the house and closes behind him. **

**Outside of the city's walls, Huang Shi Er walks along the countryside and observes the farms around the area. He takes notice to a farm with chicken coops and walks up to it. The farmer that owns that piece of land had his back turned when Huang Shi Er walks up to the chicken coops and opens the small doors to them. After he managed to open all of the small doors, he opens the last one and finds a rolled-up piece of paper.**

**"...Huff... Maybe Zhuge Liang misheard me when the Assassins communicate through the pigeon coops and not chicken coops..." He quickly gets out of the farm and unrolls the paper to read it.**

Huang Shi Er,

Liu Bei is planning to attack Hanzhong and take it from Cao Cao. You are to take care of some of the generals there and make sure Cao Cao loses this battle. This would not be hard for you, no?

**Huang Shi Er puts the paper away and he looks back towards the city of Xuchang and sees the Wei army marching out of the gates. **

* * *

><p><strong><span>Hanzhong, 217 A.D.<span>**

**Huang Shi Er rides on a horse with the army marching around him, trying to make sure none can see under his sleeves. Cao Cao was at the front of him and he looks down to look at the sword at his hip. A small gleam makes it into his view.**

**"I can't get a closer look..." He makes his horse go a little more closer to Cao Cao and Cao Cao takes notice.**

**"Eager, aren't we? I suppose it is right for someone like you to be rather excited over demolishing Liu Bei's ranks." **

**"Oh, yes."**

**"Why are you a scholar anyway? You should be leading the armies if you're that skilled in fighting. I remember when you took all my great generals head on and won."**

**"Oh yes... That..."**

**"I hope you can provide some good advice. Or maybe if you can't, you can always just be my vanguard."**

**"Ah, thank you..." Huang Shi Er felt his throat tighten as he was conversing with Cao Cao. He looks down to the sword and sees more gleams of gold shine past the sheathe. **

**At a camp set up near a mountain pass, Huang Shi Er looks around the area to see soldiers and generals preparing for battle. He moves into a tent with a large table set out in the middle with a map on it. Sima Yi and another adviser stand near it with Cao Cao at the end of the table.**

**"I urge you, my lord, to take Yi Province. After all, it is Liu Bei's state and once we take that, he will be back to where he started." suggested Sima Yi.**

**"I agree. We took Zhang Lu's land, we can take Liu Bei's to add on to it." said the other adviser. Cao Cao shakes his head and says,"We should not be discontent. Let us not be too hasty here." He turns to the tent opening and sees Huang Shi Er.**

**"What do you have to offer here?"**

**"Well, this area has a lot of mountains. We can hide some men to ambush the Shu armies by raining arrows onto them."**

**"Shu has Fa Zheng. Knowing him, he will make sure the armies stay away from the mountains." said Sima Yi. He puts his hand on his chin and has his face in thought. **

**"I suppose you can leave Xiahou Yuan, Zhang He, and Xu Huang guard Hanzhong's passes for now." He finally said. "We shall see where this will go. You, Song Xian." He points at Huang Shi Er with a stern finger. "You will go defend along with them."**

**"Why me?"**

**"Watch your words. Remember you are under my command. Anyway,You are clearly someone with fighting abilities. Combine that with those three along with strategy which will be provided by you and the Shu armies will be repelled like mere bugs. This will be somewhat of a test for me to see if you are actually someone of value here."**

**"Is it allowed...?"**

**"As I said, you are under my orders."**

**"So what happens if I fail?" Sima Yi gives him a twisted grin. "Well, that means you will be one more rotting body in the ground after this battle is over. That should be your answer."**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Yangping Pass, 217 A.D.<strong>

**Huang Shi Er walks by several generals and eventually reaches a tall and slightly rotund man. He says in a loud voice,"So, you're supposed to be here to give advice? Well, I welcome you to do that, but I guarantee I will defend this pass without anyone here dying!"**

**"I am here on my superior's orders. But if you're that confident, then I will get out of your way."**

**"Good. I should introduce myself. I am Xiahou Yuan."**

**"And I'm Song Xian."**

**"Just you watch. I will desecrate Liu Bei's army in one fell swoop!"**

**"I will be looking forward to that." Xiahou Yuan turns to go talk with a group of generals standing at another area of the camp. Huang Shi Er walks to the back of the camp and looks out of the gates there. He leans on the gate door and observes the mountainside.**** A lookout standing on top of one of the towers in the camp yells out,"Enemy sighted at coming towards the camp!" Huang Shi Er quickly backs off the gate door and heads inside to see Xiahou Yuan running to grab a bow and a halberd. He yells at Huang Shi Er,"Can you use a sword?"**

**"Yes-" A sword flies at him and Huang Shi Er grabs it.**** Soldiers then marched out of the camp to meet with the approaching army ahead with Xiahou Yuan riding a horse leading them. Huang Shi Er takes a horse and rides after them. He reaches the front just behind Xiahou Yuan. **

**"What can be said about this army?" He asked Xiahou Yuan.**

**"They took a few commanderies just ahead of here, so I will not let them have Yangping Pass by all means!" The army gets closer and closer to the enemy marching army ahead to then eventually meet in battle. Huang Shi Er rides around soldiers on his soldiers and when a Shu soldier cuts at his horse, he stabs him with the sword in his hand. He makes the horse turn and ride towards Xiahou Yuan. He was fighting a armor clad enemy general on horseback. Huang Shi Er rides fast enough to deliver a slash to the enemy general and avoid Xiahou Yuan seeing who interrupted his fight. Xiahou Yuan manages ti cut down that general and goes after another. Huang Shi Er rides near where Wei and Shu soldiers clashed. He takes his sword and kills the Wei soldiers along with a few of the Shu soldiers. Thanks to the scrambled mess the Shu armies were causing to them, no one in Wei's army can fully witness Huang Shi Er killing Wei's soldiers. **

**The remnants of the Shu army retreat back the way they came and the Wei army emerged victorious despite Huang Shi Er's attempts to have them lose. The army marches back to the camp with Xiahou Yuan at the front. He says to Huang Shi Er,"All of us showed those soldiers who is keeping Hanzhong! I couldn't see you within the masses, but at least you didn't end up as one of those bodies over there."**

**"Hm... Yes. Indeed..." **

**Mount Dingjun, 218 A.D.**

**Wei was getting the upper hand despite Huang Shi Er sabotaging the armies by him killing their own soldiers. The Wei army was marching towards Mount Dingjun to set up camp at its foot. Huang Shi Er thought to himself as he was riding on a horse with the army, ****"What can I do to make sure Wei loses...? If I fail, I can't die since he can't track me down... Failing has no effect on my well-being, but that means I cannot get any information out of Zhuge Liang... And I can't threaten him...Grr..." He was within the Wei army as they were marching behind Xiahou Yuan and a general that was familiar. He was taller and slender than Xiahou Yuan, had hair tied into a ponytail that could be seen under his helmet, and had a handsome face. His armor had some purple lining around it.**

**"Huh... I think I remember him... Who is he...? I think I remember someone that wears purple." A soldier looks up at him and whispers,"Sir, if I may speak freely, but how can you not know General Zhang He?"**

**"Eh? Huh... I never spend that much time out in the actual battlefield. Let me think about that..." He was lost in thought for a while until something clicked in him. Zhang He was someone he had went up against a few years ago and fought alongside with during his entire time staying in Wei. **

**"Oh... Never thought I'd meet him again..." The soldier near him adds,"He is considered by Cao Cao himself to be one of the Five Elite Generals. That jog your memory a bit?"**

**"I don't like your tone there, but I suppose you are right I'm a fool for not knowing General Zhang He. Thank you for reminding me of him. And for that, you don't get punished." **

**After the camp was set up, Xiahou Yuan says to Huang Shi Er,"I am going up the mountain with some men and General Zhang He. You are in charge of this camp until I come back."**

**"Are you sure you trust me with this?"**

**"You can defend yourself, right? As long you can use a weapon, you will be fine. And failure isn't an option for you unless you want to become a corpse."**

**"Yes, sir."**

**"Good to hear." Xiahou Yuan walks away to get on a horse and rides off with an army riding behind him. **


End file.
